“Though geographically tied to the copper country, Keweenaw Bay was more closely linked to the distant mines of the Marquette iron range. With the Huron mountains creating a impenetrable barrier between those iron mines and the lake, the natural bay at the base of the Keweenaw became a viable location from which to ship the ore. With the arrival of the Marquette, Houghton & Ontonagon railroad to the bay around 1872, the region’s strategic importance appeared to be confirmed.”