Stormy Kromer Mercantile

Ironwood

By jchapiewsky [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

In the early 1900s, locomotive worker George "Stormy" Kromer kept losing hats to harsh upper-Midwestern winds. In response, his wife, Ida, designed and sewed a cap whose high crown and pull-down earband kept it positioned snugly on the head. Stormy's coworkers were soon asking for caps of their own, and a business was born.

The first Stormy Kromer factory opened in Milwaukee in 1909. Though initially it barely kept up with demand, as fashions changed and the number of railroad employees declined, the business faltered. However, in 2001, the Stormy Kromer Mercantile found a new home in Ironwood, where today it produces not only the traditional Stormy Kromer caps, but also Ida Kromer caps for women, as well as a full line of coats, vests, shirts, and bags.

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Website: www.stormykromer.com

 

Phone: 906-364-8777

 

Tour Hours:

Monday through Friday, 1:30 p.m. Central Time

Cost: Free

Reserve your spot here: Stormy Kromer tour sign-up

 

Flagship Store Hours:

Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time

Saturday, 9 a.m. to noon Central Time

 

Location:

1238 Wall St.

Ironwood, MI 49938

 

 

Hiawatha Statue

Ironwood

The "World's Tallest Indian" can be found in Michigan---in fiberglass form. Ironwood is home to a 52-foot-tall statue of the Iroquois leader Hiawatha. (Actually, according to Roadside America.com, a Native American statue in Maine is 10 feet taller, but still, Hiawatha's 52 feet is nothing to sneeze at.) Hiawatha (the man) lived in prehistoric times and was known as a peacemaker who unified the Iroquois people. The statue, installed in the mid-1960s, was intended to commemorate that spirit (and, let's face it, to attract tourists as well).

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Telephone: 906-932-1122 (Ironwood Area Chamber of Commerce)

Location:
Suffolk Street
Ironwood, MI 49338

Historic Ironwood Theatre

Ironwood

By Bobak Ha'Eri (own work) [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

 

From 1928, when it began life as a mecca for fans of vaudeville acts and silent movies, until its closure in 1982, the Ironwood Theatre offered a variety of entertainment options for residents of the Western Upper Peninsula. Following an extensive renovation in the 1980s, the theatre re-opened its doors, and now serves as a performing arts center that hosts films and live acts. The Ironwood Theatre is also home to one of only six 1920s-era Barton organs still in playable condition. The instrument is affectionately known as the "Grand Old Lady."

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Website: www.ironwoodtheatre.net

Telephone: 906-932-0618

Theatre Office Hours:
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, noon to 4:30 p.m.

Location:
109 E. Aurora St.
Ironwood, MI 49938

Lake Gogebic

Gogebic/Ontonagon Counties

By Skye Marthaler (own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

At 13,000 acres, Lake Gogebic, in the Ottawa National Forest, is the largest inland lake in the Upper Peninsula. Its name, like that of Gogebic County, comes from the Ojibwa language and means "where trout rising to the surface make rings in the water." It's not surprising, then, that the lake offers excellent opportunities for fishing, as well as swimming, boating, and nature watching. Just keep in mind that if you travel the lake from tip to toe, you'll end up in a different time zone; part of Lake Gogebic is in Gogebic County (the Central Time Zone), while part is in Ontonagon County (the Eastern Time Zone). The Lake Gogebic area is also home to a 360-acre state park, located in Marenisco, with lake frontage and opportunities for camping.

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Websites:
www.lakegogebicarea.com
www.michigandnr.com

Phone (State Park): 906-842-3341

Copper Peak

Ironwood


Photo by Kevin Schneller (www.kevinschneller.com)

From 1970 to 1994, Copper Peak hosted 10 competitions during which ski jumpers tested their skills on the only ski flying facility in the western hemisphere. The hill hasn't hosted a jump for more than two decades, but plans are underway to restore Copper Peak so that it can once again be used in ski jumping. In the meantime, the Peak offers Adventure Rides during which visitors take an 810-foot chair lift ride to an elevator that lifts them an additional 18 stories. From there, they can enjoy 360-degree views of western Lake Superior and the surrounding area from an observation deck at the Peak's top.

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Website: www.copperpeak.com

2015 Hours:

Weekends: May 23 through mid-October, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central
Wednesday through Friday: June 10 through September 4, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central
Wednesday through Sunday: September 9 through mid-October, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Central

Cost: 
Adults $18
14 and under, $8
5 and under, free

Location: 
N13870 Copper Peak Rd.
Ironwood Township, MI 49938