Hancock, Michigan

Hancock
—  City  —
Hancock panorama from Houghton
Location of Hancock, Michigan
Coordinates: 47°7′49″N 88°35′47″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Houghton
1846
1875
1903
Area
• Total	2.9 sq mi (7.4 km2)
• Land	2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2)
• Water	0.3 sq mi (0.9 km2)
Elevation	696 ft (212 m)
Population (2000)
• Total	4,323
• Density	1,727.5/sq mi (667.0/km2)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4) (UTC-4)
ZIP code	49930
Area code(s)	906
FIPS code	26-36300
GNIS feature ID	0627710
Website	http://www.cityofhancock.com/

Hancock is a city in Houghton County; the northernmost in the U.S. state of Michigan, located on the Keweenaw Peninsula, or, depending on terminology, Copper Island. The population was 4,634 at the 2010 census. It is the sister city of Porvoo, Finland.

The city was named after John Hancock.

History

The Hancock Town Hall and Fire Hall is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The land on which Hancock was built was originally owned by James Hicks.

The earliest building in what is now the City of Hancock was a log cabin erected in 1846 on the site of the Ruggles Mining Claim; it is no longer standing, the site taken up by the Houghton County Garage buildings. It was owned by Christopher Columbus (C.C.) Douglass who came to live there in 1852. The Quincy Mining Company founded Hancock in 1859 after purchasing land from Douglass and building an office and mine on the site.

Hancock's first store was built by the Leopold brothers in 1858; the store also housed the first post office. Samuel Hill, an agent for the Quincy Mining Company, platted Hancock Village in 1859. Although it was organized and officers elected in 1863, the village was not incorporated until 1875 under a charter amended in 1877.

In 1860, the Portage Lake smelter opened in Hancock.

In 1869 a fire burnt down about 75% of the village. There was also a significant fire in the 1940s that destroyed much of the downtown.

The Mineral Range Railroad began providing passenger and freight service between Hancock and Calumet in 1873.

Hancock was incorporated as a city in 1903.

Looking East down Water St. around 1906

Geography

Hancock is on the north bank of the Keweenaw Waterway, opposite Houghton, Michigan. Portage Lake is at right center of this 2010 Doc Searles photo.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.8 square miles (7.3 km²), of which 2.5 square miles (6.5 km²) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km²) (12.28%) is water. Hancock is connected to Houghton, Michigan by the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, which crosses the dredged Keweenaw Waterway.

The city is bounded on the south by the Portage Canal, parts of Quincy, Hancock and Franklin Townships; on the east by West Ripley; and on the north by Quincy and Hancock Townships.

Climate

Winter view of Hancock from Houghton across Portage Lake canal, Michigan

Hancock has a humid continental climate, with typically long and snowy winters and much lake effect snow.

People and culture

Hancock has been called "the focal point of Finns in the United States". Hancock hosts an annual midwinter festival called Heikinpäivä, celebrating the feast day of Saint Henrik, patron saint of Finland and Heikki Lunta, the Finnish god of snow.

Every summer, the cities of Hancock and neighboring Houghton host a festival known as "Bridgefest," to commemorate the building of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge.

Demographics

Hancock sign

As of the census of 2000, there were 4,323 people, 1,769 households, and 902 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,727.5 inhabitants per square mile (667.0 /km²). There were 1,983 housing units at an average density of 792.4 per square mile (305.9 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.95% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.93% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. 0.76% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 32.2% were of Finnish, 14.4% German, 8.2% English, 5.3% Italian, and 5.2% French ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.4% spoke English and 4.4% Finnish as their first language.

There were 1,769 households out of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.2% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 49.0% were non-families. 38.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.0% under the age of 18, 18.0% from 18 to 24, 22.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,118, and the median income for a family was $36,625. Males had a median income of $27,090 versus $22,150 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,669. About 6.9% of families and 14.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 15.1% of those age 65 or over.

Neighborhoods

The East Hancock neighborhood is part of the city and consists of many old Victorian-style houses which were once owned by mining company officials.

Doctors' Park, located in West Hancock near the former Portage View Hospital Building (now the Portage Campus of Finlandia University). It lies north of West Quincy Street.

The Quincy Street Historic District encompasses the center of Hancock's downtown, covering the 100, 200, and 300 blocks of Quncy Street.

Museums and galleries

The birthplace of Mary Chase Perry Stratton, founder of Pewabic Pottery, "escaped the 1869 fire"; it is now called Pewabic House and run as a museum.

The Kerredge Gallery and the Republic Bank Gallery are both located inside the Copper Country Community Arts Center.

Turquoise Art Gallery is also located in Hancock.

Education

Old Main, Finlandia University

Public education

Elementary-school students attend the Gordon Barkell Elementary School (formerly Hancock Elementary School), middle school students Hancock Middle School and high-school students Hancock Central High School. Hancock Central High and Hancock Middle School are now connected.

Higher education

Hancock is the home of Finlandia University (formerly Suomi College). Several parts of the campus of Michigan Technological University are also located in Hancock, including a former MTU "underground classroom" in Quincy Mine.

Transportation

Highways

• US 41 courses north on a scenic drive to Calumet and Copper Harbor. To the south and east U S41 routes to Houghton and Marquette.
• M-26 routes north to Hubbell, Lake Linden and Laurium, Michigan. Before reaching its ending in Copper Harbor, M-26 follows a scenic stretch along Lake Superior
• M-203 serves as a connector to McLain State Park.

Intercity bus

Indian Trails bus lines operates a terminal at the Shottle Bop Party Store, 125 Quincy Street. Until January 31, 2007 this was operated by Greyhound Bus Lines.

Public transportation

In the early 20th century, the Houghton County Traction Company ran a trolley system with service to many nearby towns.

Hancock Public Transit operates a demand bus which will take riders to anywhere in Hancock, Houghton, or Ripley.

Airport

The Houghton County Memorial Airport (CMX) is often said to serve Houghton, although it is closer to Hancock, and its mailing address is Calumet.

Bicycling

The Jack Stevens Trail runs through the city.

Sports

The 2004 Professional Walleye Trail Championship Tournament was held partly in the city.

Sources

• Alexander, Eleanor A. (1984). East Hancock Revisited: History of a Neighborhood Circa 1880-1920. 
• Eckert, Katerine Bishop (Reprint Edition 1995). Buildings of Michigan (Society of Architectural Historians). Oxford University Press, USA. ISBN 0195093798. 
• Gordon, Robert Boyd and Malone, Patrick M. (1994). The Texture of Industry: An Archaeological View of the Industrialization of North America. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0195111419. 
• Lewis, Steve (1975). Hancock's Early Days. self published. 
• Sisson, Richard, Zacher, Christian, and Cayton, Andrew R.L. (2007). American Midwest:An Interpretive Encyclopedia. Indiana University Press. 

External links

• City of Hancock
• Hancock Public Schools
• Hunts' Guide to the Upper Peninsula: Houghton
• View of Portage Lake Lift Bridge and the (Michigan Tech) campus from the Michigan Tech Fund offices in Hancock