Michigan Copper the Untold Story a History of Discovery by C. Fred Rydholm

I thanked the curator, who had said he would even like to bring me to the copper pit site, were it not for another obligation. Unfortunately, the earthworks were all in the immediate vicinity of the Ontonagon River in very marshy land, which I didn’t have the equipment to get through at the time. He also told me where I could find a couple of the pyramidal mounds. The curator then pulled out a map of Ontonagon County and highlighted several around the area where I would be able to find the ancient copper pits. Digging a little deeper, you will find that this is a fairly common belief among some of the locals, including the museum’s curator. Fred Rydholm, a local historian who has been a large proponent of the pre-Columbian contact as the source of the ancient copper pits throughout the region. He also recommended that I look up a book called Michigan Copper: The Untold Story by C. Tool fragment with inlaid metal, possibly rivets. He started to point out individual artifacts and telling the story of where they came from. I mentioned to him that I had a specific interest in the ancient copper pits that litter the area between here and Copper Harbor and a spark lit up in his eye. When visiting, the curator was more than happy to guide me around. One stop to be sure to make is the Ontonagon Historical Museum, filled not only with interesting memorabilia and recreations of the town, but many curious archaeological finds from all over the area. The area has a fantastic history both visible and a bit buried. If you continue on down to the end of the road on either side of the Ontonagon River, you’ll come to what used to be the lifeblood of the town, the paper mill that was fueled by the area’s lumber industry. At least a third of the homes are for sale. One of the first things someone driving into downtown Ontonagon will notice, and there is no kinder way to put it, is that Ontonagon is a dying town. A derelict boat down the road from the Ontonagon marina.

Michigan Copper the Untold Story a History of Discovery by C. Fred Rydholm