The City of Bessemer is located at the western end of Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula. Bessemer is the county seat of Gogebic County. As of the 2000 census, there were 2,148 people residing in the city. The city has a total area of 5.5 miles at an elevation of 1,424 feet with a population density of 392.9 per square mile.
The City of Bessemer was founded and developed as a result of the discovery of iron ore. Area mining began in 1883, and the City began to attract residents by 1885, including miners who were of Cornish, Irish, Scandinavian, French Canadian, Polish, and Finnish descent. Ore was transported by rail from the Colby open pit mine to the Ashland, WI ore docks. Bessemer’s landscape is crisscrossed by abandoned rail lines serving the numerous and now closed mines. The area was once heavily timbered, supporting a lumber industry. When the mining activity declined, so did the population of Bessemer. In 1966 the last mine in Bessemer was closed. The city has now become a center for winter tourism with three major downhill ski resorts located nearby as well as opportunities for snowmobiling and cross country skiing. The area’s dependable snowfall, terrain, scenic qualities, and accessible public lands support the winter tourism economy. The area economy now consists of the service industry, health care, and small manufacturing.