Prepared by Charles Berwald & Helen Powajba

May 1, 1955

History Home Page

In 1883 a railroad being built from Milwaukee reached Watersmeet. This railroad, the Milwaukee, Lake Shore and Western (later the Chicago and Northwestern), was originally destined for Ontonagon, but with paying quantities of ore in the Colby mine, the railroad was routed west to Antigo, Wisconsin. The railroad reached Bessemer in 1884.

Shortly after mining operations began in Bessemer, geological surveyors estimated that the duration of the ore in the Lake Superior district would be from twenty-five to thirty years.

The first mining accident on the Gogebic Range occurred at the Colby mine in 1885 when Herman Rubert, his son, and William Rowe were killed instantly by a cave-in.

Many miners who couldn’t stand the smell of powder took up lumbering. In the early days lumber-jacks earned from $.50 to $.75 a day while the average miner earned $1.05 to $2.00 a day.

Sophie Street in Bessemer was once part of an old Flambeau  trail starting at a village south of Bessemer and terminating near Lake Superior.

The first frame building in Bessemer was the Dolan House constructed in 1883 by Bingham and Perrin. It was a railroad boarding house operated by Pat Dolan.

Bessemer has had three different types of government since its founding. From 1884 to 1887 it was a part of Bessemer Township. From 1887 to 1889, Bessemer was a village. In 1889, Bessemer was incorporated as a city. C.M. Ross was its first mayor.

During the heated election in 1887 on the location of the county seat, Bessemer voted four times its population, while Ironwood polled three times as many votes as its population.

Reverend D.S. Banks, a Presbyterian minister, was the first clergyman in Bessemer. He held the first church services here on November 29, 1885. Father Hennesy, a Roman Catholic priest, arrived in 1886, and Reverend Philip Price, a Methodist minister, came in 1887.

The first school in Bessemer was opened in the Montauge Building; the first teacher was G.E. Arnold. The first board included A. C. Binz, J.J. Simpson M. Kallander, J.F. Chynoweth, and F.X. Keppler.

In 1889, a fire swept through Bessemer. Had it not been for the help of bucketbridges from Ironwood and Hurley the entire town would have been destroyed.

The first fire department in Bessemer was operated in part on a competitive basis. When the fire occurred, an alarm was sounded. The first person to arrive at the fire hall with a team of horses was given the job of pulling the wagon to the fire.