About Amasa, Michigan

Amasa's beginning was linked to the discovery of iron ore in the area.  The Pickands-Mather Company (Hemlock Mining Company) began full mining operations in 1890 after the completion of a railroad spur by the Paint River Railway Company, which connected the mine site to Crystal Falls 16 miles to the south.  The settlement was originally known as "Hemlock" but changed to Amasa in 1892.  In the early 1890's a train depot was built along with other buildings.  Gasoline street lamps were installed in 1901 and by 1905 the town boasted a water system.  Development of the town continued until the 1920's and declined after 1930 as the iron ore industry declined.  The Warner Mine, the last to operate in the area, closed in 1940.  [Information from the Iron County Historical Society]

In 1910, during the iron mining and logging boom, Amasa had 1,015 residents.  Today, its 352 residents are sustained largely by employment in the forest products industry.

Amasa is not a place where you'd expect to find a manufacturer of pro basketball flooring, or a well-known environmental consulting company, or a regionally celebrated musical group drawing on folk and classical music. Connor Sports Flooring uses specially dried end-grain maple with 26 laminations to make its flooring. White Water, the folk-flavored family quartet of Dean and Bette Premo, who started White Water Environmental Consulting here, is probably the best-known performing group in the Upper Peninsula.

Social needs are served by the attractive Rusty Sawblade Bar and Grill.  With its great food menu, excellent entertainment and the rooms for rent, the Rusty Sawblade is the social center of Amasa.

No need to drive to Crystal Falls because the Tall Pines general store has a deli, gas station, and motel. Most of your everyday needs can be filled in Amasa.

The old Blomquist Building on Pine St. was a rooming house back when the nearby iron mines (Hemlock, Gibson, Porter, Red Rock, Warner) were still producing.

White Water Associates of Amasa, MI does environmental impact statements, landfill and groundwater work, and educational programs for clients ranging from individual landowners to paper companies and foundries to Indian tribes, conservation groups, and local, state, and federal governmental units.

Amasa Historical Society Museum has all sort of things in this 1921 one-time city hall, jail, and firehouse-recreations of the local food co-op, a trapper's cabin, a barber shop, photos from a summer day in 1947, a “memory book” from 1911.

Remains of the Triangle Ranch - The interesting remains of one of the hopeful but doomed 1920s projects to develop cutover U.P. land. The initial objective was to raise pedigree Herefords, leading to the construction of five enormous barns.

Amasa Lodging

Click here for more information on the Rusty Sawblade Rooms for Rent.

Tall Pines Motel
(906) 822-7713
The rambling A-frame complex incorporates the grocery store, a motel, and a deli with sandwiches and coffee. Each of the motel's eight pleasantly decorated rooms has two double beds, cable TV, and a mini-fridge. All rooms permit smoking, and all have phones. Most have fans, a few are air-conditioned. Rates are $59 for two or more people.

THE LISTENING INN
(906) 822-7738
10,000 square feet with six guest rooms on three levels and a central gathering area with massive stone fireplace 24' high.  The 560-acre property is quite an attraction in itself. Nine miles of hiking trails are groomed for cross-country skiing and open to the public.

Rooms on the first-floor and two upper floors ($119 for first night, $109 for the next) all have at least one special feature: a Jacuzzi, balcony, fireplace. The lower-level rooms ($109) have separate entrances, kitchenettes and a small eating area, and a queen or double bed and a set of twin bunks. The interior sides of the exterior walls are log, so every upstairs room has a very rustic feel. Guests share the inn's phone.

Real Estate in Amasa
Click here to see the results for real estate listings for Amasa, MI from Upper Peninsula Association of Realtors.

Wikipedia Information

Hematite Township is a civil township of Iron County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 352. The town is named for the masses of hematite iron ore in the rocks surrounding the area.

Amasa is an unincorporated community within the township, situated on U.S. Highway 141 at 46°13′58″N, 88°26′55″W where it crosses the Hemlock River, about 15 miles from the Wisconsin border. The ZIP code is 49903 and the elevation is 1440 feet above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 155.8 square miles (403.4 km˛), of which, 153.4 square miles (397.4 km˛) of it is land and 2.3 square miles (6.0 km˛) of it (1.48%) is water.

As of the census² of 2000, there were 352 people, 163 households, and 96 families residing in the township. The population density was 2.3 per square mile (0.9/km˛). There were 343 housing units at an average density of 2.2/sq mi (0.9/km˛). The racial makeup of the township was 96.02% White, 0.85% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.57% from other races, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 163 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 38.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.81.

In the township the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 112.4 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $26,964, and the median income for a family was $31,607. Males had a median income of $29,000 versus $18,750 for females. The per capita income for the township was $13,931. About 13.5% of families and 17.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.4% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

The above information from Wikipedia.