Clifton, Michigan

(Redirected from Cliff, Michigan)

Clifton was a community in Allouez Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan, that was founded in support of the Cliff mine—a mine opened in 1845 by the Pittsburgh and Boston Mining Company after copper was discovered there.[1][2] The remnants of the community are located between Calumet and Eagle Harbor, off of Cliff Drive, alongside U.S. Route 41 in the Keweenaw Peninsula. A historical marker is present at the site.

Clifton, Michigan
Historic marker of Clifton
Historic marker of Clifton
Clifton is located in Michigan
Clifton
Clifton
Location within the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 47°22′32″N 88°18′12″W / 47.37556°N 88.30333°W / 47.37556; -88.30333
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyKeweenaw
TownshipAllouez
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
49805 (Allouez)
Area code906

Mining was the main source of employment, drawing men of different nationalities, including Irish, German, French Canadians, and Cornish men. The community of Clifton had only a few churches, including Catholic and Episcopal. At one point, the town supported an independent brewery called the Clifton Bottling Works.[1]

After the Cliff mine exhausted the copper deposit, the town became deserted.

Further reading

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  • Chaput, Donald (1971). The Cliff, American’s First Great Copper Mine. Kalamazoo, Michigan: Sequoia Press/Publishers.
  • Mason, Phillip P (1991). Copper Country Journal—The Diary of Schoolmaster Henry Hobart, 1863-1864. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Abandoned Cliff Mine and the Ghost Town of Clifton, Michigan". 99.1 WFMK. September 12, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  2. ^ "Cliff Mine & Clifton The Ghost Town". Visit Keweenaw. Retrieved August 1, 2023.