Baraga ( ) is a village in Baraga County in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. The population was 1,883 at the 2020 census. The village is named after Bishop Frederic Baraga. The village is located in Baraga Township on the Keweenaw Bay on

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh wa ...

at the junction of

US 41 U.S. Route 41, also U.S. Highway 41 (US 41), is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that runs from Miami, Florida, to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Until 1949, the part in southern Florida, from Naples to Miami, ...

and M-38. It is entirely within the boundaries of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Reservation. The Baraga ZIP code 49908 also serves areas of northern and northwestern Baraga Township.

History

Baraga began with the establishment of the Holy Name Mission at this site by Rev.

Frederic Baraga Irenaeus Frederic Baraga (June 29, 1797 – January 19, 1868; sl, Irenej Friderik Baraga) was a Slovenian Roman Catholic missionary to the United States and a grammarian by and author of Christian poetry and hymns in Native American langua ...

in 1843. The post office opened with the name ''Bristol'' on June 29, 1869 and changed to Baraga on May 11, 1870. In 1993, the

Baraga Correctional Facility Baraga Correctional Facility (AMF) is a Michigan prison, located in Baraga, for adult male prisoners. While it includes a Level I security facility, it is primarily a maximum security prison. Facility The prison was opened in 1993 and has eight h ...

was opened in the town.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of t ...

, the village has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the census of 2020, the population was 1,883. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...

was . There were 617 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 37.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 31.4%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 22.8% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.9% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 7.5% from two or more races. Ethnically, the population was 1.2%

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race.

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...

of 2010, there were 2,053 people, 527 households, and 310 families residing in the village. The

was . There were 580 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 44.9%

, 29.4%

, 22.0% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from

, and 3.6% from two or more races.

of any race were 1.0% of the population. There were 527 households, of which 33.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.0% were married couples living together, 18.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 37.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90. The median age in the village was 35.7 years. 15.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 40.9% were from 25 to 44; 22.6% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the village was 68.8% male and 31.2% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,285 people, 544 households, and 326 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 605 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 68.79%

, 0.16%

, 23.97% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.31% from

, and 6.15% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.86% of the population. 25.5% were of

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

, 9.9% French, 9.2%

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, and 6.3% French-Canadian ancestry according to

Census 2000 The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

. There were 544 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.9% were non-families. 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.03. In the village, the population was spread out, with 27.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.4 males. The median income for a household in the village was $26,290, and the median income for a family was $33,906. Males had a median income of $31,838 versus $21,333 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $14,795. About 9.8% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Indian Trails bus lines operates daily intercity bus service between

Hancock Hancock may refer to: Places in the United States * Hancock, Iowa * Hancock, Maine * Hancock, Maryland * Hancock, Massachusetts * Hancock, Michigan * Hancock, Minnesota * Hancock, Missouri * Hancock, New Hampshire ** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...

and

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...

with a stop in Baraga Township, just outside Baraga.

Images

File:BaragaMichiganPostOfficeUS41.jpg, Post office File:BaragaMichiganWelcomeSignUS41.jpg, Welcome sign File:BaragaStateParkEntranceSign.jpg, Baraga State Park entrance File:M38EastTerminusUS41.jpg, M-38 east terminus File:BaragaMichiganPanoramaKeweenawBayLakeSuperior.jpg, Panorama over

File:BaragaCountyMuseumUS41.jpg, Baraga County Historical Museum

References

Notes

Sources

External links

Baraga County Historical Museum

''The L'Anse Sentinel''

Ojibwa Tribe

Copper Country
{{authority control Villages in Baraga County, Michigan Villages in Michigan Populated places established in 1843 Michigan populated places on Lake Superior 1843 establishments in Michigan