Bessemer, Michigan
Bessemer is a city of 1,733 people in Gogebic County, Michigan, founded in 1884.
Why visit Bessemer
Townapedia lists 3 museums and landmarks, 5 parks and trails, 2 places to eat and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Main Street – Black River Bridge, Big Powderhorn Mountain and Gogebic County Courthouse.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 77°F; January lows average 2°F, and about 186 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Bessemer
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bessemer
Bessemer is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 1,805. It is the county seat of Gogebic County.
From the Wikipedia article Bessemer, Michigan (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Main Street – Black River Bridge
Bridge · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Bridge in United States of America
Big Powderhorn Mountain
Ski area · 2.9 mi
Ski resort in Michigan, United States of America
Blackjack Ski Resort
Ski area · 2.7 mi
Ski area in Michigan, United States
Snow River Mountain Resort
Ski area · 4.1 mi
Ski area in Michigan, United States
Museums and landmarks3
Gogebic County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
County courthouse in Michigan, United States of America
Parks, trails and playgrounds5
Restaurants and cafes2
DQ Grill & Chill
Fast food · Ice Cream, Burger
201 East Lead Street, Bessemer
Mo-Th,Sa 10:00-22:00; Fr 10:00-21:00; Su 11:00-22:00
History
In 1880, a hunter and trapper Richard Langford, discovered iron ore under an overturned birch tree. However, Captain N. D. Moore is credited with disclosing the ore which led to the development of the Colby property. Mining began in 1883. By 1884, the Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western Railroad (later the Chicago and Northwestern) was being built from Antigo, WI to Ashland, WI by way of the new mines. The railroad company plotted the town of Bessemer in 1884. On June 4, 1886 Gogebic County was separated from Ontonagon County. In March 1887, 360 voting members assembled and voted to organize the village of Bessemer. In the same year Gogebic County was officially created by the Michigan Legislature. Also in the year Bessemer and Ironwood called an election to see which city would be the county seat and also have the Gogebic County Courthouse. Ironwood men traveling to Bessemer to vote were made drunk and the train did not stop at the voting site. Ironwood lost and Bessemer gained the county seat. From 1884 to December 31, 1958, a period of seventy-five years, the iron ore shipment from all of Gogebic County totaled over 245 million tons. In 1966 the last mine in Bessemer, the Peterson Mine, closed. Many left the area to work in car factories in Kenosha, and the local economy underwent a serious decline.
From the History section of Bessemer, Michigan on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship7
Shopping3
Gas and EV charging3
Schools, colleges and libraries9
Map of Bessemer
36 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20°F | 2°F | 2.0 in | 43.1 in |
| Feb | 26°F | 4°F | 1.5 in | 30.9 in |
| Mar | 37°F | 14°F | 2.0 in | 23.9 in |
| Apr | 49°F | 27°F | 3.1 in | 11.7 in |
| May | 64°F | 40°F | 3.8 in | 1.9 in |
| Jun | 73°F | 50°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 77°F | 55°F | 4.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 76°F | 52°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 68°F | 46°F | 3.8 in | 0.3 in |
| Oct | 53°F | 34°F | 4.0 in | 6.0 in |
| Nov | 38°F | 23°F | 2.9 in | 24.1 in |
| Dec | 26°F | 11°F | 2.4 in | 43.6 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Ironwood #2 (4 mi away), rain and snow from Ironwood Hcn, NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Gogebic County has had 6 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for floods.
- 2020-03-27: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2018-08-02: Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, And Mudslides (Flood)
- 2013-06-18: Flooding (Flood)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2002-05-06: Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Gogebic–Iron County Airport (IWD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Ramsay 3 mi east, about 4 min by car
- Ironwood 5 mi west, about 8 min by car
- Wakefield 6 mi east, about 9 min by car
- Hurley 8 mi west, about 13 min by car
- Montreal 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Mercer 22 mi south, about 35 min by car
- Birch Hill 24 mi west, about 39 min by car
- White Pine 29 mi northeast, about 46 min by car
- Mellen 31 mi west, about 50 min by car
- Ashland 40 mi west, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- 2009-0617-downtown-Bessemer, Bobak Ha'Eri, CC BY 3.0
- Gogebic County Courthouse, Skye Marthaler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 2013-07-13 Main Street, Black River Bridge, Sa magnuson33, CC BY-SA 3.0
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