Laurium, Michigan
Location of Laurium, Michigan
Coordinates: 47°14′14″N 88°26′24″W / 47.23722, -88.44
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Houghton
Area
- Total	0.7 sq mi (1.7 km²)
- Land	0.7 sq mi (1.7 km²)
- Water	0.0 sq mi (0.0 km²)
Elevation	1,224 ft (373 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	2,126
- Density	3,163.7/sq mi (1,221.5/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49913
Area code(s)	906
FIPS code	26-46360[1]
GNIS feature ID	0630196[2]

Laurium is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan, in the center of the Keweenaw peninsula. The population was 2,126 at the 2000 census.

History

Until 1895 Laurium was known as "Calumet" (not to be confused with the present nearby town of Calumet, Michigan, which was known as "Red Jacket" until it adopted the name Calumet in 1929). In 1895 the legislature changed Calumet's name to Laurium, after the famous mining town in ancient Greece. Laurium is located in the center of the Copper Country, the first major copper mining region in the United States. It was originally founded as a company town serving the Laurium copper mine, which later became part of the Calumet & Hecla mine. The town was generally home to the wealthier members of Keweenaw society, such as mine owners and captains. Although the mines have long since closed down, the town still sports many large houses and mansions built by the wealthy mine owners. Today, many of the houses are participating locations in the Keweenaw National Historical Park.

The population in 1900 was 5643, of whom 2286 were foreign-born.

Noted 20th Century football player George Gipp ("the Gipper") was born in Laurium. A small memorial for the football legend is located on the corner of Lake Linden Avenue and Tamarack Street and his grave is in nearby Lake View Cemetery. ^[3]

The Palestra was a noted hockey arena, built in Laurium in 1904. It is thought to have been the first purpose-built indoor hockey venue in the United States. In 1921, the entire arena was moved to Marquette, Michigan and remained there until it was torn down in 1974.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 2,126 people, 897 households, and 540 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,163.7 per square mile (1,225.2/km²). There were 1,082 housing units at an average density of 1,610.1/sq mi (623.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 98.12% White, 0.24% African American, 0.61% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population. 38.9% were of Finnish, 9.6% German, 9.1% Italian, 7.5% French and 7.2% English ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 897 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the village the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 23.9% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $30,404, and the median income for a family was $40,556. Males had a median income of $28,571 versus $23,824 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,686. About 8.8% of families and 12.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.6% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The Calumet-Laurium-Keweenaw (C-L-K) School District, established in 1867, remains one of the most populated school districts in the area. It serves the two towns named, as well as almost all of Keweenaw County.

Notable Residents

• George Gipp - University of Notre Dame Football Star

References

1. ^ ^{a b} American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
2. ^ US Board on Geographic Names. United States Geological Survey (2007-10-25). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
3. ^ Family digs up 'The Gipper' - CNN.com

External links

• Laurium Official Website
• Keweenaw National Historical Park Website

Coordinates: 47°14′15″N, 88°26′35″W