Marquette county is located along the southern shores of Lake Superior and covers over 1800 square miles, making it geographically Michigan 's largest county. The county is named after the French Jesuit missionary and explorer, Pere Jacques Marquette who came to the area in the late 1600's. In 1844, vast deposits of Iron Ore were discovered in the Ishpeming/Negaunee area. During the civil war, the county saw tremendous growth and at one time 48 mines were operating to help supply the war effort for the north. Iron ore is still mined and is a major part of the area's economy. Ishpeming is also home to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame because after all this is the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States . During the late 1800s the first ski-jumping tournaments in the country were held in Ishpeming where skiers seeking bigger thrills invented ski flying.    In 1970 a newly constructed jump at Suicide Hill on Copper Peak enabled skiers to sail 500 to 600 feet in the first flying tournament ever in the Western Hemisphere , most ski jumps only permit leaps of 300 to 350 feet.   The city of Marquette is the county seat and is the largest population center in the Upper Peninsula with around 20,000 residents.   Another area that became known throughout America is the town of Big Bay on Lake Independence in the northern end of the county.   This happened thanks to a man by the name of John D. Voelker a Michigan Supreme Court Justice and Prosecuting Attorney who in his free time also wrote several books. He wrote under the pseudonym Robert Traver because he felt it would seem inappropriate for a sitting judge to also be a crime novelist. His best-selling novel, Anatomy of a Murder, was based on a true event which took place in Big Bay in 1951. In 1959 the novel was turned into a movie and filmed almost entirely in Marquette County . The motion picture starred Jimmy Stewart, George C. Scott and Lee Remick and received seven Academy Award nominations, Today its still considered a Hollywood classic. With 73 miles of Lake Superior Shoreline, over 1800 inland lakes and over 4000 miles of rivers and streams not to mention acres of untouched wilderness Marquette County offers a smorgasbord of opportunities for sportsmen.

Marquette County Websites and Locations of Interest

http://www.thevierling.com/   - Historic restaurant in Marquette

http://www.michigan.gov/hal/0,1607,7-160-18835_18896-42152--M_2002_6,00.html   - Anatomy of a Murder Author John D. Voelker to be Honored with Literary Landmark in Marquette

http://www.exploringthenorth.com/thunderbay/inn.html - Thunder Bay Inn

http://www.showcaves.com/english/usa/mines/Tilden.html - Information on Tilden Mine

http://www.skihall.com/about.htm - U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame and Museum

http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=149&category=sports - Detroit News Story Ski Jumping