Monuments

There are several major monuments in Iron County, including Mansfield Bridge over the Michigamme River on Mansfield Road, Pentoga Park and its associated museums, and Memorial Park which is part of the lawns for the county courthouse. Each of these monuments demotes and celebrates something unique about Iron County.

The Mansfield bridge is located six miles northeast of Crystal Falls. It is an elegant concrete arch structure that has served as a vehicle bridge in an unaltered state since 1915. The bridge stands as a tribute to the former community and mine of Mansfield. The mine was originally developed and the town along with it in the late 1880’s. By 1890 a railroad spur was built to the community to aid in shipping rich iron ore to foundries elsewhere. The mine was not without tragic happenstance however, as in 1893 the river flooded the shaft and drowned twenty seven miners. In 1894 a forest fire leveled the town. While the community and mine rebuilt by 1913 the mine was close and the town faded. This bridge is the longest span of this type built in the early part of the twentieth century.

Pentoga Park, named for an Ojibwa Indian Chief’s wife, is testament to the imprint that the native peoples have left on this land. Here you can step back into time and experience native dances, camp and swim and enjoy the best of the county. The park is located on Lack Chicagon which offers many activities. The 104 campsites are full hookup and the park has modern facilities. The lake offers fishing, there is boating access, and the beach has a lifeguard. While this is a modern park, the evidence of the Ojibwa tribe is a major fixture here. Both the ceremony circle and the village are marked as well as the burial grounds. All the customs observed here are explained at the museum in Caspian.

The three hundred square foot Memorial Park sits in the expansive courthouse lawn of the Iron County Courthouse in Crystal Falls. The idea began in 2006 when a native red maple was planted among the century old trees scattered across the ten thousand square foot space. This tree was intended to be a tribute to county Prosecuting Attorney Joseph Sartorelli. The action revived an older idea to pay tribute to county workers. In July of 2007 the Courthouse Memorial Park opened to honor formal and current courthouse employees. The park uses engraved bricks which can be purchased for fifty dollars each. Currently the park only allows employees that worked or work at the courthouse to be included to give other departments a chance to come up with their own methods of honoring their workers. The park can hold a total of 558 bricks before it needs to be expanded and includes two flower urns and a bench with the county logo. Bricks currently recognize 190 courthouse employees, the founding of the park, the construction of the courthouse, and a thank you to all county workers.