Snow Job: Shoveling out Negaunee and great moments snow technology

by Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan, courtesy Seeking Michigan. The goal of Seeking Michigan is simple: to connect you to the stories of this great state. Visit them regularly for a dynamic & evolving look at Michigan’s cultural heritage.

Michigan is truly a winter state. The snow brings much beauty and allows us to enjoy seasonal activities such as skiing, ice skating and snowmobiling. Of course, along with this comes some occasional extra work.

The photo to the right depicts Negaunee’s Iron Street on March 13, 1899. These men have partially completed a Herculean shoveling task. You can see the “J. Trathen Saloon” in the background, so perhaps that was their eventual stop.

Negaunee, located in Marquette County, is a renowned Upper Peninsula mining town. According to Walter Romig’s book Michigan Place Names (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1986), the Jackson Iron Company first settled the town in 1846. It was given a post office in 1858. It incorporated as a village in 1865 and as a city in 1873. Romig also notes that “Negaunee” is a Chippewa word meaning “pioneer.” The 2003-2004 Michigan Department of Transportation map provides a recent population figure of 4,576.

Play the video below to see footage of an Armstead Snow Motors Company concept snow vehicle. The original film, completed in 1924, is permanently stored within the Archives of Michigan collections. It represents further proof that Michiganians have found inventive ways to deal with the snow!

Armstead Snow Motors from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.