Almanac - Gogebic County GenWeb

YE OLDE ALMANAC

Gogebic County
pronounced GO GIBB ICK

(see Michigan State below)

Founded: June 4, 1886 from Ontonagan County
Origin of Name: Lake Agogebic, later changed to Gogebic
County seat: Bessemer
Land Area (square miles): 1,102
Elevation: 800-2000 feet

Gogebic County is located in the most western end of Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is almost directly north of Davenport, Iowa and reaches as far west as St. Louis, Missouri. Of the eighty-three counties in Michigan, Gogebic is the most remote from the State Capitol of Lansing.

The entire western end was known as Bessemer Township in the early years.

Population Statistics:

1900 16,738

1910 23,333

1920 33,225

1930 31,577

1940 31,797

1950 27,053

1960 24,370

1970 20,676

1980 19,686

1990 18,052

1995 17,896

2000 17,370

2001 17,670

2002 17,407

In 2000 Gogebic County ranked as the 65th most populous county in Michigan.

And just FYI because... Gogebic County averages 200-300 inches of snow per year!

Michigan
The "Wolverine State"

Admitted to the Union:
Thursday, January 26, 1837

Capital: Lansing

Motto: Si Quaeris Peninsulam Ameonam, Circumspice
(If You Seek a Beautiful Peninsula, Look Around)

Land Area (square miles): 58,216

Michigan got its name from the Indian word meaning "Great Lake." This state touches on all but one of the Great lakes and has 40,000 square miles of water within its boundaries. Woodland Indians lived in the land when French explorers and fur traders first came to it. Once the timber, minerals, and fertile soil were discovered, settlers flocked to Michigan. They stayed to make this state first in production of automobiles, breakfast cereals, furniture, cherries, cucumbers, navy beans, and seedling pines.

Population statistics:

1810 4,762

1820 8,896

1830 31,639

1840 212,267

1850 397,654

1860 749,113

1870 1,184,059

1880 1,636,937

1890 2,093,890

1900 2,420,982

1910 2,810,173

1920 3,668,412

1930 4,842,325

1940 5,256,106

1950 6,371,766

1960 7,823,194

1970 8,875,083

1980 9,262,078

1990 9,295,297

2000 9,938,444

Population is ranked 8th (in US) at 9,549,353 (1995 estimate)

Total area - 96,791 square miles [including water areas]
Greatest length [north to south] - 310 miles
Greatest width [east to west] - 400 miles
Highest point - 1,980 feet
Lowest point - 572 feet
Highest recorded temperature - 112 degrees
Lowest recorded temperature - -51 degrees
3,288 miles of shoreline
11,000 inland lakes
36,000 miles of rivers and streams
18.4 million acres of forest
Principal cities - Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids, Dearborn, Lansing

White pine is the state tree
Robin is the state bird
Apple blossom is the state flower
Petoskey is the state stone
Isle Royale greenstone is the state gem
Brook trout is the state fish
State song is "Michigan My Michigan"