The Michigan Iron Industry Museum is located in Negaunee. (Journal file photo)

One hundred and seventy-five years ago, William Austin Burt and his surveying crew located rich iron ore deposits in what we now call Negaunee. On Sept. 19, 1844, Burt and his crew noticed wild fluctuations in their magnetic compass needles. The crew dispersed to investigate the area, and all returned to the survey line with iron ore samples from nearby outcrops. Since then, the iron industry has been integral to the development of Marquette County. The legacy of the industry remains everywhere on our landscape – from active iron mining operations to place names, architecture, transportation routes, and foodways. The area’s mining heritage is preserved at the Michigan Iron Industry Meseum, seen above. (Journal file photos)