Although underestimated for a long time, people realized in the 1840s that on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan lay tremendous opportunities for wealth creation, as they discovered the valuable copper and iron deposits that led to the creation of a very prosperous mining industry on the U. P. In fact, the production of copper and iron created greater mineral wealth than the famous California Gold Rush.

Thanks to great innovations in both mining and transportation technology, the Upper Peninsula became one of the principal mining centers of the nation, and held that status for a while. At one point, the region produced around 90% of the entire copper supply of the United States. The rapid development of the mining sector in the second half of the 19th century drew thousands of immigrants from foreign lands in search of a better opportunity, and the Upper Peninsula area in particular attracted many Scandinavians, particularly Finns, who found that they could earn a decent living and establish a prosperous lifestyle for themselves and their descendants by working in the iron and copper mines.

Today, most of the mines are closed, although iron is still being mined to some extend in the Marquette area (Marquette is the largest town on the Upper Peninsula, with a population of almost 20,000). Now the most prominent industry of the Upper Peninsula region is certainly the tourism sector, given the area’s wildlife and its natural touch, a beautiful countryside largely undisturbed by much of the suburban sprawl that characterizes many other places.