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Ten New Interpretive Signs

May 22, 2017

Ten new interpretive signs were installed in April of this year. The signs are scattered along the trail between Negaunee and Marquette Township. They cover diverse stories along this section of trail.  Starting from east to west, here’s the location of the ten signs and the topics they cover. 1)  Connecting trail behind Menards, Old State Park .  Responding the newfound popularity of family camping, the State opened a park in 1923.  CCC was involved in building a sandstone pavilion, a caretakers cottage and playground equipment. 2) Near the LS&I Scales, Morgan Heights Sanatorium, a place built for the County’s population of TB patients, who were mostly immigrants and working class. 3) Pine Hill Quarry, next to Morgan Heights Sanatorium Sign, tells the story of the industrial complex with 100 workers once located on this site that mined greenstone for roofing grit. 4) Morgan Furnace, next to Pine Hill quarry sign, talks about the enormous success of the 1863 Morgan Blast Furnace. 5) Sawmill at Eagle Mills, corner of CR 492/35, the sawmill operated in early 1850’s and made the planks for the Plank Road. 6) Ore Improvement Plant and Pellet Plant, Co Rd 492/35, relays the story of pelletizing which saved our local mining industry. 7) Carp River Watershed, at the Carp River bridge, relays the importance of wetlands and the various species found in the area. 8) Mules and Mining, near the Negaunee mine site, talks about the importance of horses and mules in the early days of mining. 9) Negaunee Mine Cave-in relays the story of the “unluckiest of mines” and the ten men who lost their lives. 10) Pioneer Furnace, just east of Healy Avenue, Negaunee, the first commercial charcoal blast furnace in the Upper Peninsula and instrumental to City of Negaunee’s beginnings.