Marquette, Michigan, United States

🇺🇸 Marquette is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. It also serves as the county seat of Marquette County. Located on the shores of Lake Superior, the city is a major port, known primarily for shipping iron ore. The city is partially surrounded by Marquette Charter Township, but the two are administered autonomously. It is the largest city in Michigan north of the Tri-Cities. Marquette is also the third-largest American city on Lake Superior, behind Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. Marquette's urban area extends south toward the community of Harvey, and west toward Negaunee and Ishpeming, at the base of the Huron Mountains.

Marquette is the home of Northern Michigan University. NMU's athletic teams are nicknamed the Wildcats, and compete primarily in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). The men's ice hockey team, which competes in the NCAA Division I Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), won the Division I national championship in 1991. In 2012, Marquette was listed among the 10 best places to retire in the United States by CBS MoneyWatch.

History The land around Marquette was known to French missionaries of the early 17th century and the trappers of the early 19th century. The area was originally inhabited by the Anishinaabe Council of Three Fires, who referred to the area as Gichi-namebini Ziibing. Development of the area did not begin until 1844, when William Burt and Jacob Houghton (the brother of geologist Douglass Houghton) discovered iron deposits near Teal Lake west of Marquette. In 1845, Jackson Mining Company, the first organized mining company in the region, was formed.

The village of Marquette began on September 14, 1849, with the formation of a second iron concern, the Marquette Iron Company. Three men participated in organizing the firm: Robert J. Graveraet, who had prospected the region for ore; Edward Clark, agent for Waterman A. Fisher of Worcester, Massachusetts, who financed the company, and Amos Rogers Harlow. The village was at first called New Worcester, with Harlow as the first postmaster. On August 21, 1850, the name was changed to honor Jacques Marquette, the French Jesuit missionary who had explored the region. A second post office, named Carp River, was opened on October 13, 1851, by Peter White, who had gone there with Graveraet at age 18. Harlow closed his post office in August 1852. The Marquette Iron Company failed, while its successor, the Cleveland Iron Mining Company, flourished and had the village platted in 1854. The plat was recorded by Peter White. White's office was renamed as Marquette in April 1856, and the village was incorporated in 1859. It was incorporated as a city in 1871.

During the 1850s, Marquette was linked by rail to numerous mines and became the leading shipping centre of the Upper Peninsula. The first ore pocket dock, designed by an early town leader, John Burt, was built by the Cleveland Iron Mining Company in 1859. By 1862, the city had a population of over 1,600 and a soaring economy.

In the late 19th century, during the height of iron mining, Marquette became nationally known as a summer haven. Visitors brought in by Great Lakes passenger steamships filled the city's hotels and resorts.

South of the city, K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base was an important Air Force installation during the Cold War, host to B-52H bombers and KC-135 tankers of the Strategic Air Command, as well as a fighter interceptor squadron. The base closed in September 1995, and is now the county's Sawyer International Airport.

Marquette continues to be a shipping port for hematite ores and, today, enriched iron ore pellets, from nearby mines and pelletizing plants. About 7.9 million gross tons of pelletized iron ore passed through Marquette's Presque Isle Harbor in 2005.

The Roman Catholic Bishop Frederic Baraga is buried at St. Peter Cathedral, which is the centre for the Diocese of Marquette.

Lakeview Arena, an ice hockey rink in Marquette, won the Kraft Hockeyville USA contest on April 30, 2016. The arena received $150,000 in upgrades, and hosted the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes on October 4, 2016, in a preseason NHL contest. Buffalo won the game 2–0.

Postal and philatelic history In addition to the Marquette #1 Post Office there is the "Northern Michigan University Bookstore Contract Station #384".

The first day of issue of a postal card showing Bishop Frederic Baraga took place in Marquette on June 29, 1984, and that of the Wonders of America Lake Superior stamp on May 27, 2006.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.45 square miles (50.38 km²), of which 11.39 square miles (29.50 km²) is land and 8.06 square miles (20.88 km²) is water.

The city includes several small islands (principally Middle Island, Gull Island, Lover's Island, Presque Isle Pt. Rocks, White Rocks, Ripley Rock, and Picnic Rocks) in Lake Superior. The Marquette Underwater Preserve lies immediately offshore.

Marquette Mountain, used for skiing, is located in the city, as is most of the land of Marquette Branch Prison of the Michigan Department of Corrections. The town of Trowbridge Park (under Marquette Township), is located to the west, Sands Township to the south, and Marquette Township to the north-west of the city.

Business Along with Northern Michigan University, the largest employers in Marquette are the Marquette Area Public Schools, UP Health System-Marquette (a regional medical centre that is the only Level 2 Trauma centre in the Upper Peninsula), Marquette Branch Prison, RTI Surgical, Charter Communications, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.

Marquette is known for its breweries, including Ore Dock Brewing Company and Blackrocks Brewery. Five breweries were extant in the city (as of 2019).

Marquette's port was the 140th largest in the United States in 2015, ranked by tonnage.

Recreational facilities Presque Isle Park is located on the north side of the city. The largely untouched, forested landscape of the park was the result of a 1891 visit from landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who refused to develop a plan for it due to his belief that it "should not be marred by the intrusion of artificial objects". Amenities include a wooden band shell for concerts, a park pavilion, a gazebo, a marina, a concession stand, picnic tables, barbecue pits, walking/skiing trails, playground facilities, and Moosewood Nature Center. The city has two beaches, South Beach Park and McCarty's Cove. McCarty's Cove is flanked by a red U.S. Coast Guard Station lighthouse on its south shore. Both beaches have picnic areas, grills, children's playgrounds and lifeguard stands. Other parks include Tourist Park, Founder's Landing, LaBonte Park, Mattson Lower Harbor Park, Park Cemetery, Shiras Park, Williams Park, Harlow Park, Pocket Park, Spring Street Park and Father Marquette Park.

There are also numerous other recreational facilities located within the city. Lakeview Arena is best known for its use as an ice hockey facility, but it also hosts a number of public events. A skateboard park is located just outside the arena and open during the summer. Lakeview Arena was home to the Marquette Electricians and Marquette Senior High School's Redmen hockey team. In 1974, the arena replaced the historic Palestra, which had been located a few blocks away. Gerard Haley Memorial Baseball field home of the Marquette Blues and Reds is located in the north side along with numerous little league and softball fields. Marquette is home to the largest wooden dome in the world, the Superior Dome—unofficially but affectionately known as the YooperDome. During the football season, the Dome is used primarily for football on its newly renovated AstroTurf field. The turf was installed in July 2009. Northern Michigan University holds its home football games in the Dome, as does the Michigan High School Athletic Association with the upper peninsula's High School football playoffs. The dome also hosts numerous private and public events that draw in thousands from around the region. The Marquette Golf Club has brought international recognition to the area for its unique and dramatic Greywalls course, opened in 2005. The course features several panoramic views of Lake Superior and winds its way through rocky outcroppings, heaving fairways and a rolling valley, yet is located less than two miles (3.2 km) from the downtown area.

The city is also known for fishing for deep water lake trout, whitefish, salmon and brown trout.

Marquette has an extensive network of biking and walking paths. The city has been gradually expanding the paths and has been promoting itself as a walkable and livable community. Cross Country ski trails are also located at Presque Isle Park and the Fit Strip.

Camping facilities are located at Tourist Park.

The combination of hilly terrain (a 600-foot (180 m) vertical difference from top to bottom) and large area snow falls makes snowboarding and downhill skiing a reality on the edge of town.

Museums, galleries, and lighthouses • The Marquette Maritime Museum, including the Marquette Harbor Light; • The Upper Peninsula Children's Museum, Baraga Avenue. • The Marquette County History Museum. • The DeVos Art Museum, Northern Michigan University. • The Oasis Gallery for Contemporary Art.

Festivals and events Art on the Rocks—art festival at Ellwood Mattson Lower Harbor Park • Hiawatha Music Festival Traditional music festival at Tourist Park • Marquette's July 4 Celebration • Marquette's Blueberry Festival • Superior Bike Fest • UP 200 Dog Sled Race • Noquemanon Ski Marathon • Marquette Area Blues Fest • Marquette Scandinavian Midsummer Festival and Wife-Carrying Contest • U.P. Fall Beer Festival-hosted by Michigan Brewers Guild • Ore to Shore • Marquette Marathon • OutBack Art Fair.

Live theatrical productions are also provided through Northern Michigan University's Forest Roberts Theatre and Black Box Theatre, Marquette's Graveraet School Kaufman Auditorium and Lake Superior Theatre, a semi-professional summer stock theatre.

Transport Marquette is served by American Eagle and Delta Connection out of Sawyer International Airport (MQT, KSAW) with daily flights to Chicago and Detroit. The airport is located 20 miles (32 km) south of downtown Marquette.

The city is served by a public transit system known as MarqTran, which runs buses through the city and to nearby places such as Sawyer International Airport and Ishpeming. The system operates out of a transit centre in the adjacent Marquette Township in addition to a small transfer station in downtown. In addition, Indian Trails bus lines operates daily intercity bus service between Hancock and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The line operates a stop at MarqTran's transit center.

Marquette has limited freight rail service by the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I). The Canadian National Railway also goes through nearby Negaunee. The LS&I serves the Upper Harbor Ore Dock, which loads iron ore pellets from nearby mining operations onto lake freighters for shipment throughout the Great Lakes.

Three of MDOT's state highways serve Marquette as did a former business route for US 41 and a former state highway. • US 41 / M-28 / LSCT are two highways continuing westerly and northerly toward Houghton and Wakefield and southerly toward Escanaba and Sault Ste. Marie. •

Bus. US 41 previously ran through downtown Marquette before the streets carrying it were turned back to city control in 2005. • M-553 is a highway providing a connection to Sawyer International Airport and Gwinn. • M-554 previously ran along a section of Division Street on the south side of the city before it was turned over to city control in 2005

Education Public schools The City of Marquette is served by the Marquette Area Public Schools. The district is the largest school district in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Wisconsin, with about 3,100 students and 420 faculty and Staff. • Marquette Senior High School, grades 9-12 (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Marquette Alternative High School at Vandenboom (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Bothwell Middle School, grades 6-8 (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Cherry Creek Elementary (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Graveraet Elementary (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Sandy Knoll Elementary School (Marquette Area Public Schools) • Superior Hills Elementary School (Marquette Area Public Schools) • North Star Academy (public charter Montessori K-12).

Private schools • Father Marquette Elementary School • Father Marquette Middle School.

Education: University • Marquette is home to Northern Michigan University, the Upper Peninsula's largest university at just under 10,000 students.

Public libraries • Peter White Public Library.

Media Multiple media outlets provide local coverage of the Marquette area. • Newspaper: The Mining Journal, The North Wind, and Marquette Monthly • Television: WLUC-TV/WLUC-DT2 (NBC and Fox), WBUP-TV/WBKP (ABC), WNMU-TV (PBS), WJMN-TV (MyNetworkTV), WZMQ (CBS and MeTV) • Radio: WNMU-FM, WHWL-FM, WUPK-FM, WFXD-FM, WUPT-FM, WUPX, WJPD-FM, WUPZ-FM, WKPK-FM, WUPG-FM, WGLQ-FM, WRUP-FM, WNGE-FM, WKQS-FM, WCMM-FM, WMQT-FM, WDMJ-AM, WZAM-AM