Iron County, Michigan

Founding: 1885
Parent counties: Marquette and Menominee

Namesake: Iron deposits within the county
Seat: Iron River (1885–1888); Crystal Falls (1888–)

Land area: 1,166 square miles

Population (2020): 11,631

Population (historic): 4,432 (1890); 15,164 (1910); 20,805 (1930)

Periods of population growth: pre-1890–1920

Subdivisions: Five cities; two villages; one CDP; seven townships

National Register listings: 80

Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 2,738 (29.4%)
Pre-1940 housing survival rate: 52.2%

Farm housing in disrepair (1950): 13.1%

Nonfarm housing in disrepair (1950): 11.3%
Average farmhouse value (1930): $1,092
Average outbuilding value (1930): $871

Average farmhouse size (1940): 5.1 rooms
Number of farms (1920): 621
Average farm size (1920): 22.7 acres
Sources of settlement: Michigan, Sweden, Finland, and Wisconsin

___________________________________________________________________________________

Crystal Falls

Namesake: A waterfall on the Paint River

Founding: 1881 (platting); 1885 (post office); 1889 (incorporation)

Population (2020): 1,598

Population (historic): 3,231 (1900); 3,775 (1910); 3,394 (1920); 2,995 (1930)

Periods of population growth: 1881–1910; 2010s
Pre-1940 residences (estimated): 452 (50.4%)

___________________________________________________________________________________



View and filter the data. Or see a larger map.