Ishpeming is a city in Marquette County in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,470 at the 2010 census. This is down from a higher population in the 1950s and 1960s when the economically supportive iron ore mines employed more workers.
At the end of the 19th century almost one third of the population of Åtvidaberg Municipality in Sweden emigrated to Ishpeming, as copper mines in the Åtvidaberg area closed down. In 1994 this was commemorated by a plaquette at the Mormorsgruvan mine of Åtvidaberg.
The name Ishpeming comes from the Ojibwe word ishpiming, meaning "above", "in the air" or "on high". A statue of a Native American figure, erected in 1884 in the small town square, is referred to as "Old Ish".
Ishpeming is considered the birthplace of organized skiing in the United States and is the home to the National Ski Hall of Fame. The city was also prominently featured in the 2010 documentary Catfish. The National Ski Association, the forerunner of the present-day United States Ski and Snowboard Association, was founded in Ishpeming on February 21, 1905. The founder and president was local banker and skier, Carl Tellefsen.
Suicide Hill Ski Jump is a 90-meter ski jump located near Ishpeming, and is part of the Ishpeming Ski Club. It is one of three major ski jumps located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (the others being Copper Peak and Pine Mountain Ski Jump). Suicide Hill has been in existence since 1925. Suicide Hill Ski Jump is located in a small valley known as Suicide Bowl. Suicide Bowl contains a total of five jumps, a 13-meter, 25 meter, 40 meter, 60 meter, and Suicide Hill at 90 meters. The 13 meter and 40 meter jumps are fitted with plastic for summer jumping. All five jumps are used during winter.
Before the construction of the jump in 1925, numerous other hills and jumps were used for competitions. The first competition that took place in Ishpeming, Michigan was on February 25, 1882. Since 1887, an annual competition has taken place in the area. On February 26, 1926, Suicide Hill was opened for its first competition. The name "Suicide Hill" was given by a local newspaper reporter named Ted Butler after jumper Walter "Huns" Anderson was injured in 1926. Due to this long history of ski jumping in the area, the National Ski Hall of Fame is located in Ishpeming.
The movie Anatomy of a Murder was filmed in Ishpeming and surrounding areas in 1959, based on the novel by Ishpeming native John D. Voelker under the pen name Robert Traver. Extensive 50th anniversary celebrations were held in 2009.
Ishpeming also has what is commonly known as the “World’s Largest Gemstone”, which is named "Jasper Knob". The formation is a 1.874 billion-year-old rock outcrop that overlooks the town. You can learn more about Jasper Knob by visiting GC1C6F1 Earthcache.
The Green Bay Packers played their first ever road game in Ishpeming on October 19, 1919. The Packers won 33–0.