City of Negaunee History - The Jackson Mine was established in
1845 in Negaunee to mine the iron ore which would be shipped to
steel making plants. The first iron forge in the Lake Superior
region was established soon after in Negaunee as well. The
community grew. In 1858, Negaunee was given a post office. In 1865,
Negaunee was incorporated as a town and in 1868 the first police
force was formed. 1873 marks the year Negaunee was recognized as a
city. As mining operations expanded, many immigrants helped settle
the area, bringing with them rich traditions that remain today. At
one point in the city's history, Negaunee was the second richest
city, per capita in the world, with Johanasburg, South Africa being
first.
Population in 2010: 4,568
Population in 1910: 8,460
Population in 1873: 3,741 & 79 cows
(History provided by http://www.cityofnegaunee.com/negaunee.html)
History of Business M-28 -
Formed on July 1, 1919, M-28 began in Wakefield at a junction with
then M-12 and ran roughly along the current alignment to end at
M-15, 6.5 miles east of Covington. The two highways endings roughly
correspond to the modern US 2 and western US 41 junctions
respectively. M-28 was extended in 1927 along US 41 into Marquette
County and east over M-25 through Chatham, Munising, and Newberry,
before ending in downtown Sault Ste. Marie. At Negaunee, M-28 took
the former routing of M-15 between Negaunee and Marquette for 10
miles while US 41 ran along a portion of M-35. This southern loop
routing of M-28 lasted until approximately 1936, when M-28 was
moved to US 41, and the former route became CR 492. A new routing
of M-28 in the Newberry area opened later that year, and a new
M-28A (later BUS M-28) existed until 1953. Another realignment in
1937 marked the transfer of M-28 out of downtown Ishpeming and
Negaunee. This former routing later became BUS M-28.
M-28 Business Route (BUS M-28)
This state trunkline highway serves as a business route that runs
for 4.873 miles through the downtown districts of Ishpeming and
Negaunee in Michigan. The trunkline provides a marked route for
traffic diverting from U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) and M-28 through the
two historic iron-mining communities. It is one of three business
loops for M-numbered highways in the state of Michigan. There have
previously been two other BUS M-28 designations for routes in
Newberry and Marquette. Only the business loop serving Ishpeming
and Negaunee is still a state-maintained trunkline today. US
41/M-28 was relocated to bypass the two cities' downtowns in 1937.
The highway through downtown Ishpeming and Negaunee had carried the
ALT US 41/ALT M-28 designation before being designated BUS M-28 in
1958. The western end of the business loop was transferred to local
government control when BUS M-28 was moved along Lakeshore Drive in
1999. In Negaunee, starting on the west end, the routing uses a
street named County Road east from the city line. County Road
passes Jackson Park, location of the first iron ore discovery in
the area. The iron mined from the region supplied half of the
nation's supply between 1850 and 1900. South of downtown Negaunee,
BUS M-28 turns north along the west fork of Silver Street. The
street runs north under an overpass that carries Rail Street, so
named because it was once a rail line into downtown Negaunee. The
trunkline turns east on Jackson Street to Division Street and
becomes Main Street, running next to the Negaunee City Hall, which
was built in 1914–15 at a time when the city's population was
increasing and iron production was peaking. The building still
houses the city's offices, police station and library. BUS M-28
follows Main Street one block to the intersection with Teal Lake
Avenue. Turning north, the trunkline follows Teal Lake Avenue
through residential areas of town past the Negaunee Middle School
and up over a hill. On the opposite side of the hill next to Teal
Lake Bluff, the business loop intersects Arch Street, which carries
traffic to Negaunee High School to the west or the football field
complex to the east. Negaunee High School was the site of the
former Mather B Mine Complex. The administration building for the
mine was converted to its present educational use in 1986. BUS M-28
continues along Teal Lake Avenue past the football field and under
the LS&I tracks where it ends at another signalized
intersection with US 41/M-28 by Teal Lake.
Info provided by Wikipedia, edited by cache owner.
