Abstract
One of the Michigan Upper Peninsula’s earliest industries was iron production. Iron furnaces (smelters) were part of that industry; these were primarily fueled by charcoal, produced in hundreds of charcoal kilns scattered across the Upper Peninsula. The four basic kiln designs (rectangular, round, conical, and beehive) were all used in the region, with the beehive design becoming the predominant form. James C. Cameron, Jr. is credited with developing the beehive charcoal kiln design while employed by Upper Peninsula iron furnaces. This design was first introduced to the Upper Peninsula, and then to Northeastern Wisconsin, Northern New York, and the Far West. Cameron relocated to Northeastern Wisconsin where his invention became the standard charcoal kiln design along the Fox River where Lake Superior ores were smelted. Later, he relocated to Utah, where again his design became the charcoal burning industry standard. The beehive charcoal kiln has at least part of its origin story set in the Upper Peninsula. There is a large charcoal kiln on U.S. Highway 41 South welcoming tourists to Marquette. When Yoopers explain to tourists what that is, they can add, “You know, that thing was invented here.”
Recommended Citation
Straka, Thomas J.
(2024)
"Michigan's Upper Peninsula Is the Cradle of Paul Bunyan's Beehives,"
Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region: Vol. 11, Article 4.
Available at:
https://commons.nmu.edu/upper_country/vol11/iss1/4
Included in
Cultural History Commons, Forest Management Commons, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine Commons, Wood Science and Pulp, Paper Technology Commons
