IRON MOUNTAIN, Mich. (WZMQ) – Iron Mountain residents gathered for a day of healing and remembrance, reflecting on a troubling chapter in the town’s history marked by racial intolerance and the presence of the Ku Klux Klan. The event, which drew a standing-room-only crowd to the Dickinson County Library, featured a presentation by Bill Cummings, Ph.D., a local historian. Cummings recounted incidents from 1924, including cross burnings and a deceitful real estate scheme aimed at manipulating Black families into moving to the area under false pretenses.
Cummings explained, “There had been an attempt by a realty group from Chicago… a scam colonization effort to bring blacks to the area.” He detailed how the Wisconsin Heights Realty Group falsely claimed that Henry Ford’s new chemical plant would offer jobs to Black workers, a promise that was entirely fabricated. When the truth emerged, the community was outraged, and the scheme collapsed. Shortly after, on a Saturday night on August 23rd, 1924, a large cross was burned on Millie Hill, followed by the initiation of 150 Klan members, as reported in the Iron Mountain News on August 25, 1924.
Cummings shared other grim accounts, including an incident where a smaller cross was burned near the railroad depot, witnessed by worshipers heading to a Christmas Eve service in 1924.
After the presentation, attendees ascended to Millie Hill for a healing service sponsored by Christians for Racial Understanding (CRU), a local group from Kingsford. The gathering featured emotional speeches, prayers, and songs, culminating in the planting of a “tree of hope for racial harmony.”
Reverend Crystal Thomas, the pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Iron Mountain, delivered a powerful keynote sermon. Reflecting on her experiences as a new resident and pastor, Thomas shared the challenges she faced due to her race and gender. “Unfortunately, I must say that I was more self-conscious about the freckles on my face than I was about the color of my skin until I came into the church because of some of the microaggressions and then some of the blatant racism and things that people say to you,’ she admitted, highlighting some of the overt racism she had encountered. “When you’re in leadership, we can tell people, yes, I’m following God, but I have three strikes against me. I’m a woman, I’m African-American, and normally I’m the youngest one in the church,” she added, emphasizing the hurdles of her role.
Thomas also discussed the importance of recognizing and addressing racial diversity within the community, saying, “Seeing no color is dangerous. I need people to know that I am a minority. I need people to know that I am an African-American woman and that, in this cultural climate, there are certain things that may not make me feel safe.” She urged the community to avoid complacency, asserting, “Silence is complacency… speaking up right then and there is essential.”
The day’s events served as a poignant reminder of the need for continued dialogue and understanding, encouraging residents to confront the past and strive for a more inclusive future.
*Christians for Racial Understanding* (CRU) typically meets on the 3rd Tuesday of each month -except for December. Meetings are from 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST with an optional book discussion from 1:00-2:00 p.m. Meetings take place at First Presbyterian Church, 395 Hamilton Ave. Kingsford, and are available via Zoom. To reach out to the group, contact: northwoodscru@yahoo.com
The entire PowerPoint version of the Presentation given by historian Bill Cummings, Ph.D. will soon be available as a resource within the Dickinson County Library. For a link to the library’s resources, visit:
*COURTESY: Special thanks to Nikki Marinelli, a local resident who filmed the video clips of the tree being planted.
