The Upper Peninsula has a long and storied—and often tragic—mining history. If you’re fascinated by the history of mining in the UP, you may be interested in joining Beth Gruber of the Marquette Regional History Center for the breakout session “Fire in Shaft #3: The Osceola Mine Fire” at this year’s UP History Conference. Disaster struck the Osceola Mine on September 7, 1895. Learn more about how the underground fire took the lives of 30 men and boys, making it the deadliest single accident in Keweenaw mining history. To save your seat at the conference, go to https://hsmichigan.org/form/uphc2025 (fb)

When we think of the Underground Railroad—the network of secret routes, safe houses, and individuals who aided enslaved people in escaping to freedom before the Civil War—Michigan may not be the first state that comes to mind. But Michigan is home to several sites of importance to the Underground Railroad, two of which were recently recognized by a national preservation program. Have you visited either of these sites? In October 2024, 11 new locations were added to the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a nationwide program dedicated to honoring and preserving locations connected to the Underground Railroad. Of the 11 locations added in 2024, two of them were located in the city of Battle Creek, Michigan. The first location is the burial site of Perry Sanford, located at Oak Hill Cemetery. Sanford, pictured below, who was born in Kentucky, escaped from slavery in 1846. He witnessed the Kentucky Raid in Cass County, Michigan, and resisted attempts to re-enslave him. Sanford settled in Battle Creek, where he became a leader in his community. Sanford died in 1905. The second location is the Erastus and Sarah Hussey Store and House, which served as a station on the Underground Railroad. The Hussey family—who were Quakers and strongly opposed slavery—came to Michigan from New York in 1824. In 1840, the family began assisting self-emancipated individuals by providing them with shelter and aid. Erastus Hussey also served in the state legislature. Want to read more “Michigan News?” There is a section in each issue of Michigan History magazine! Learn more at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history (fb)