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A−History
History · Bessemer

Bessemer dates to 1884, and 45% of its homes were built before 1940

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns. What drives it

Its Register listing is the Gogebic County Courthouse. Below: maps from 1888 on and the census since 1890.

1884founded
1on the National Register
45%homes built before 1940
7famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
Quick answers

How Bessemer began

When was Bessemer founded?

1884

Bessemer dates its founding to 1884 (Wikidata). The census first counted it in 1890.

First census: 2,566 in 18902020 census: 1,805142 years

How historic is Bessemer?

A−

More historic than 76% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikidata. First post office: 1887.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Bessemer’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Bessemer is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.

A−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Bessemer’s overall grade.
Founding era1884, from Wikidata: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 194045.0% of homes (±6.8) · typical MI town 11.9% · U.S. 8.4%A+National Register1 listing, 5.8 per 10,000 residents · typical MI town 0.0 · U.S. 2.4B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 76%
NewerOlder

Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Bessemer’s 5.8 sits above most of its state (77% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 1 listings outnumber those of 51% of U.S. towns.

How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B− to A. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±6.8 points). Two sources give 1884.

Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Bessemer’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Bessemer are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Boom and bustPeaked at 5,482 in 1920; 1,805 people lived here in 2020.Mapped building by building5 fire insurance maps, 1888 to 1917, drew every building in Bessemer.Old housesHalf of Bessemer’s homes were built before 1943.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Bessemer’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Bessemer’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
People over time

Bessemer, census by census

05001,0001,5002,0002,5003,0003,5004,0004,5005,0005,5006,0001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 5,482

Peaked at 5,482 in 1920; 1,805 people lived here in 2020.

14 censuses, 1890–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Bessemer’s Wikipedia page.

Every building

Bessemer, building by building, 1888–1917

Fire insurance maps drew every building, what it was made of and what it was used for, so insurers could price the risk of fire. Pick a year, then a sheet.

Bessemer fire insurance map, 1888, sheet 11888Sheet 1 of 3
Edition
BrickWoodStone

Sanborn Map Company, via the Library of Congress. Editions published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.

The story

How Bessemer came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Bessemer.

Read it all →

In 1880, a hunter and trapper Richard Langford, discovered iron ore under an overturned birch tree. However, Captain N. D. Moore is credited with disclosing the ore which led to the development of the Colby property. Mining began in 1883. By 1884, the Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western Railroad (later the Chicago and Northwestern) was being built from Antigo, WI to Ashland, WI by way of the new mines. The railroad company plotted the town of Bessemer in 1884. On June 4, 1886 Gogebic County was separated from Ontonagon County. In March 1887, 360 voting members assembled and voted to organize the village of Bessemer. In the same year Gogebic County was officially created by the Michigan Legislature. Also in the year Bessemer and Ironwood called an election to see which city would be the county seat and also have the Gogebic County Courthouse. Ironwood men traveling to Bessemer to vote were …

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Bessemer, 1884 to 1955

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1884
    FoundingBessemer is established
  3. 1887Post officeThe Bessemer post office opens
  4. 20th century
  5. 1911Born hereOtto Binder is born here
  6. 1920CensusPopulation peaks at 5,482
  7. 1921Born hereDorothy G. Page is born here
  8. 1931Born hereAl Rossi is born here
  9. 1943Born hereJay W. Johnson is born here
  10. 1955On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
Add from your album
On the map

Bessemer on the map, 1955 to 1980

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Bessemer. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Bessemer on the 1955 USGS mapBessemer on the 1975 USGS mapBessemer on the 1980 USGS map1955Bessemer sheet · 1:24,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Bessemer.

On the National Register

1 historic place in Bessemer

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

place listed
1
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
1
each building in a district counts
first listed
1981
Gogebic County Courthouse
Gogebic County Courthouse
Buildings

Architectural styles listings

Richardsonian Romanesque1
Gogebic County CourthouseRichardsonian Romanesque

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

Famous people

7 famous people were born in Bessemer

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
A
Al RossiAmerican rower · b. 1931
O
Otto BinderAmerican writer · b. 1911
J
Jay W. JohnsonAmerican politician · b. 1943
D
Dorothy G. PageAmerican mayor · b. 1921
H
Helge PukemaAmerican football player · b. 1917
L
Laurie ApitzAmerican football player · b. 1906
Places that used to be

Old corners, places now gone and burying grounds

Bessemer’s post office has been open since 1887.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Yale
Gone or out of use
Bessemer StationlocaleOld Colby MinemineOld Tilden MineminePalms MineminePeterson Minemine
1cemetery inside Bessemer
Hillcrest

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Questions about Bessemer’s history

What year was Bessemer founded?

In 1884, according to Wikidata. Bessemer’s post office opened in 1887, and the census of 1890 counted 2,566 people here.

How does Bessemer rank for history?

Bessemer is more historic than 76% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Bessemer?

One place: the Gogebic County Courthouse (listed 1981).

How old are the homes in Bessemer?

45% of Bessemer’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±6.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1943.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and Sanborn fire insurance maps (Library of Congress). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.