Across the Keweenaw copper mines were often joined by a mining location, a small collection of worker housing built by the mine itself to serve its workforce. In some cases these mining locations outgrew their mine masters to become fully functional towns complete with commercial districts and public services. In most cases, however, these towns simply faded away with the mines that created them. Such was the case with the small townsite of Ojibway.

Unlike most mining locations, the town of Ojibway sat a good mile away from the mine itself. It sat alone and remote half-way between Cliff Drive and US41. A collection of some 24 single family homes were built along the footprint of a small street grid. The Gratiot River flowed along its northern boundary while the spur line of the Keweenaw Central which served the neighboring mine cut along its southern end. To the west stood a small train depot along the railroad’s main line, near where the line crossed the Gratiot River.

Ojibway was first platted and built around 1907, but the misfortunes of its mine landlord and subsequent closure forced the town’s abandonment by 1913. Today the old road to the site still exists as a narrow two-track, for years still marked with the Ojibway town marker. The majority of the old street grid has been reclaimed by the forest, with only the town’s central intersection still remaining in any discernible form.

As for the towns compliment of houses, all were sold off and removed by 1941. All that can be found of them today are several poor rock foundations, which sit in and around an open clearing at the town’s main intersection. There was very little else left to see.

A short walk around the old town revealed nothing but the same. All the foundations were the same size and shape, built from poor rock and finished off with a white mortar layer along their faces. With darkness settling down over us (and a few gunshots from hunters echoing down from the river) it was time to make our exit. The old town of Ojibway would be abandoned and left alone in the wilderness yet again.