Wakefield is centrally located to all the activities and events in the Western U.P. Founded in the late 1800’s as an iron ore mining town, the Wakefield area is rich in history. With mining ending around 1960 the area returned to its natural beauty of forest and water. The forest being a mix of hardwood and conifers makes a spectacular year around treat for the eye. From evergreens all decked out in there cloak of winter white to the hardwoods vivid palate of color in the fall. Add water in the form of rivers and streams, lakes in all sizes from ponds to the mighty Lake Superior, to this Mecca of timber. Throw in some small mountain ranges, with rocky terrain. A little know fact: The Huron and Porcupine mountain ranges were once higher than today’s Rockies. Successive movements of the glaciers wore down these ranges. You now have some of the finest country to enjoy all that nature has to offer.
Wakefield’s history, as a settlement, village and city, goes back over one hundred years. A visit to our local historical society and museum offers a glimpse into the area that helped develop and protect our country. Much of the iron ore mined in this area was used to build the railroads, ships and tanks for war and also supplied a lot men and women to fight the battles. Others went on to achieve prominence in the arts, education and business.
The four seasons each offers its own unique and spectacular attractions and activities.
Winter: Lake Superior helps bless the area with over 200 inches of snow each year. Alpine and Nordic Skiing, Snowmobiling, Snowshoeing are just a few activities. Sledding, Tubing and Sleigh Rides, along with Ice Skating. Ice fishing is another favorite winter activity on the frozen lakes. If the snow isn’t too deep in the woods, a hike to the waterfalls can be quite spectacular.
Spring: The change over time of the year. A time of cool nights and warming days. Those waterfalls take on a whole different look as the rivers and streams swell from the winter snow melt and most rush to Lake Superior. A beautiful time to hike and bike our area on the many roads and trails that await exploration. Flowers, plants and trees are all starting to grow. The watchful hiker may see many of the beautiful wildflowers starting to bloom.
Summer: Wakefield’s Fourth of July celebration is one not to miss. A weeklong event of food, crafts, tours, parades and fireworks. Other events like the bike tour and the National Outboard Championship races in certain years add to the things to see and do. Of course hiking, biking and exploring the shops and other scenic attractions await you. Many golf courses are located just a short drive from town.
Fall: Another change to nature. One that has been described as: “Not even in New England, are the colors of autumn more vivid and memorable than along the south shore of Lake Superior,” says Kermit Holt, travel writer for the Chicago Tribune. A great time to hike, bike or drive around the area. The Porcupine Mountains State park is only a short drive from town, with many scenic vistas. Numerous well-developed trails crisscross these rugged mountains, some follow trout streams to the big lake. From the vantage points along the crest, one can watch the lake freighters as they glide across the waters of Lake Superior.
History
George Mix Wakefield, born February 6, 1839, in Henderson, New York, a son of James Patterson Wakefield and Hannah B. Hall, had the town site of Wakefield platted in May 1886; the general location was already being referred to as “Wakefield” as early as the fall of 1884. His parents moved their family to Waukesha County, Wisconsin in October 1844. Mr. Wakefield became interested in logging and real estate and acquired vast tracts of land in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the 1870s and 1880s. Together with various other capitalists he built sawmills and logged the pine forests of the area, and later became involved in mineral exploration. He was one of the parties who held interests in the mineral rights to the Sunday Lake mine, as well as a few nearby properties.
Mr. Wakefield moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1879 and established a real estate business, dealing in timber and mineral lands in Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas, and Alaska. He was secretary-treasurer of the Ontonagon River Improvement and Boom Company, organized in 1880. They made it possible to float logs out to Lake Superior and built a sawmill on an island near the mouth of the Ontonagon river in Ontonagon, Michigan.
The G. M. Wakefield Mineral Land Company was formed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on September 18, 1899 for the purpose of dealing in mineral lands, timber, agricultural lands, and real estate. George M. Wakefield, his wife and their son Vernon T. Wakefield were the stockholders with a capital stock of $50,000 divided into 500 shares. Most of the land held was in Township 47 North, between Wakefield and Lake Gogebic. Mr. Wakefield was also a major stockholder in the Beacon, Continental, Cosmos, International, and Summit mineral land companies.
The Wakefield ancestry is traced back to John Wakefield, who was born about 1614, probably in Gravesend, County Kent, England and immigrated to Virginia aboard the “America” in June 1635, along with his brothers Richard Wakefield and Thomas Wakefield. John Wakefield eventually settled at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Incorporation
Wakefield was incorporated as a village by the Gogebic County Board of Supervisors on November 20, 1887. It became incorporated as a city in 1919.
Mining boom
The founding of Wakefield and much of its early history was based upon the discovery of iron ore on the east end of Sunday Lake by George A. Fay in 1881. Upon its discovery several mining companies surged to the area and many mines opened. Many of the cities location names such as Plymouth, Pike, Castile, and Comet got their names from these iron mines. The first mines in Wakefield were the Sunday Lake, Iron Chief, and the Brotherton. According to the Gogebic Range Directory of 1888, the output of these mines in 1886 was as follows: Sunday Lake, 13,00 tons; Iron Chief, 9,584 tons, and the Brotherton, about 3,500 tons.
Wakefield’s iron mines include:
* MIKADO Captain John Lester did pioneering work on the MIKADO in 1886. Development occurred off and on for several years, until the first ore was shipped in 1895. The mine is credited with shipping over one million tons from 1895 to 1917. Shipments from 1919 to 1952 were sent under the PLYMOUTH name. The MIKADO mine was located on the northwest end of the open pit, in Verona location.
* PILGRIM Explorations began on this location in the spring of 1886 under Captain Harry Letcher. Nothing was shipped until 1919–27 when the PILGRIM made shipments of twenty-two thousand tons. The PILGRIM was located just east of the MIKADO.
* PLYMOUTH The PLYMOUTH open pit mine operated just to the west of the WAKEFIELD, but the PLYMOUTH was entirely an open pit operation, with the possible exception of a small amount of ore taken out of the No.3 shaft as it was being sunk. It began shipping in 1916 and closed on November 6, 1952, having shipped almost seventeen million tons.
* WAKEFIELD Drill exploration began on the WAKEFIELD property in July 1912, and two shafts were down by the following summer. The first ore shipment was made on October 15, 1913. The WAKEFIELD soon became an open pit mine, shipping a total of almost fourteen million gross tons from 1913 to 1954.
* CITY OF CHICAGO Exploration began in the latter part of 1886 at this location on the north shore of Sunday lake. The SPARTA operated on the same location in 1888 and the CITY OF CHICAGO returned in 1896, eventually producing shipments of almost one hundred thousand tons of ore between 1896 and 1915. It was also called the SOUTH CHICAGO in 1915.
* SPARTA The former CITY OF CHICAGO exploration became the SPARTA in 1888. It was developed and shipped almost ten thousand tons from 1891 to 1895.
* ALPHA In the summer of 1886 the Alpha Iron Mining Company sank a shaft near the north shore of Sunday lake. By 1890 this location was taken over by the PIKE mine.
* PIKE Captain Robinson D. Pike (1838–1906) of Bayfield, Wisconsin took over the former ALPHA option in 1889. Ten years later the PIKE made its first shipment, with total shipments of over one hundred five thousand tons from 1899 to 1910. In 1927 the PIKE became part of the SUNDAY LAKE GROUP.
* BROTHERTON Frank H. Brotherton began mineral explorations near Sunday lake in the summer of 1883. The first iron ore was shipped from the mine in 1886, with total shipments amounting to two million six hundred ninety thousand tons by the time the mine closed in 1923.
* SUNDAY LAKE This location was first explored in 1881 by George Fay. Development picked up by 1884, and the first iron shipment left port at Ashland on November 19, 1885. The SUNDAY LAKE mine later encompassed all of Section 10 and the former BROTHERTON mine. Over seventeen million gross tons of ore went out from 1885 to 1961. The mine closed on February 16, 1961.
* IRON CHIEF Development of the IRON CHIEF mine began in 1884 under the Fink Mining Company. It was originally called the ASCHERMANN for Edward Aschermann (18341904) of Appleton, Wisconsin. The mine shipped about twelve thousand tons of iron ore in 1886 and 1887.
* CASTILE Captain Pentecost Mitchell (1861–1933) discovered iron ore on this location in 1886. The CASTILE began producing in 1906 and shipped almost nine hundred thousand tons of ore by the time it closed in 1923.
* METEOR The METEOR started as an exploration in 1890, called the NORTON. It was developed into a mine by 1900 and operated until 1904, shipping one hundred thirty-two thousand tons between 1899 and 1904. Over six million tons of stockpile ore went under the name NORTH MIKADO.
* COMET Captain Pentecost Mitchell found ore here and an exploration called the ECLlPSE was developed from 1886 to 1890. The COMET began in 1890 making its first ore shipment in August. The COMET was shut down in 1893 reopening in 1900 and operating until 1902 as part of the METEOR mine. It is credited with shipments of eighty-nine thousand tons in 1890–93.
* MORGAN The MORGAN mine east of Wakefield was developed in 1918–23 and made its first ore shipment on January 30, 1923. It operated until 1925 and shipped over fifty-eight thousand tons.
* VICAR The easternmost productive mine on the Gogebic Range covered most of Section 12, east of Wakefield. This location was once called the JONES & LAUGHLIN exploration and included the old PHOENIX exploration that dated back to 1887. The VICAR shipped about one hundred two thousand tons in 1950–51.
Post-mining era
After the closure of the Sunday Lake Mine on February 16, 1961 the local economy shifted from one of mining to the forest industry, goods and services, and tourism.
Logging had been a mainstay of the local economy since the early 1900s. In 1941 the county embarked upon a county forest project to demonstrate that with selective cutting, under proper management, forests could be perpetuated, of inceasing value and quality. By 1956 the project included 45,604 acres (184.55 km2) out of the total of 703,102 acres (2,845.35 km2) in the county and Ottawa National Forest harvesting marked hardwoods, aspen, and conifer. In support of the local lumber industry many successful lumber, trucking, equipment sales, and logging businesses have existed in Wakefield and many continue to do so today. They all support the larger industries of lumber and plywood mills located in Gogebic County and outlying areas.
After the local mining jobs were lost many in the community fell back upon providing goods and services. This included restaurants, food markets, bakery, bars, gas stations, hardware stores, drug stores, local newspaper, barber shops, beauty salons and commerce that supports the needs of the community.
With an average of 156–240 inches of annual snowfall the city greatly benefits from winter tourism. Indianhead Mountain opened in 1959 and has grown to become a major tourist magnet in both winter and summer. Snowmobile trails, cross-country skiiing trails, and ice fishing on Sunday Lake have also drawn many tourists to the city during the winter months. During the summer hiking, camping, fishing, and on occasion American Power Boat Association boat races on Sunday Lake contribute to a growing local tourist industry. As a typical Americana small town many are drawn back to participate in the annual old-fashioned July 4 celebration. The week-long event includes softball tournaments, high school class reunions, homecoming church services, town picnic and concert at Eddy Park, a Sunday Lake run contest, Main Street parade, children’s races, and fireworks display over Sunday Lake.
Recreation and tourism
* Eddy Park & Campground is located on the north-northeastern shore of Sunday Lake. The park provides picnic, playground, and swimming areas and has two pavilions for gatherings. The park and campground is opened from Memorial Day weekend to the end of September.
* Indianhead Mountain Ski Resort is located west of the city at 500 Indianhead Mountain Road. The mountain provides a vertical drop of 638 feet (194 m) on 29 runs with 196 skiable acres and several trails up to a mile long. Summer activities include hiking, golf, and wildlife watching.
* American Power Boat Association boat races. The City of Wakefield has hosted APBA boat races on several occasions. Badger State Outboard Association boat races were held on Sunday Lake from July 31, 2011 through August 8, 2011.
Media
Local newspapers and radio include:
* The Wakefield News-Bessemer Pick & Axe is published weekly on Wednesday at 405 Sunday Lake Street.
* The Ironwood Daily Globe is published Monday through Saturday and serves Gogebic and Ontonagon Counties in Michigan and Iron County, Wisconsin.
* WJMS AM 590 from Ironwood, Michigan
* WIMI FM 99.7 from Ironwood, Michigan
* WUPM FM 106.9 from Ironwood, Michigan
Notable residents
* Walter S. Goodland, Governor of Wisconsin, practiced law in Wakefield.
* Dr. Julius H. Eddy, M.D. in whose memory Eddy Park was named.