Houghton, Michigan

The city of Houghton, Michigan occupies 4.6 square miles in the northwestern portion the Upper Peninsula. Houghton has a population of nearly 8,000 and serves as the county seat of Houghton County. It is named after Houghton County, which was named after Douglass Houghton, an American geologist and physician, primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.

Long before European settlement, Native Americans mined copper in and around what would later be Houghton. In the mid-1850s, Houghton was incorporated as a village. During the 1860s and 1870s, increased demand for copper wiring fueled the development of Houghton. Houghton gained in importance as a port with the opening of the Keweenaw Waterway in 1873. By 1880 Houghton had become a burgeoning city and in 1883, the railroad was extended from Marquette. The last nearby mines closed in the late 1960s, but a school founded in 1885 by the Michigan State Legislature to teach metallurgy and mining engineering, the Michigan College of Mines, continues today under the name of Michigan Technological University. Its main campus sits on 925 acres on a bluff overlooking Portage Lake. Michigan Tech is one of the largest employers in Houghton.

Houghton’s lengthy history of industry and construction makes asbestos exposure an ongoing concern. Workers and others exposed to asbestos may be at risk for asbestos cancer. If you were exposed to asbestos in Houghton, Michigan and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you should also consider contacting an asbestos law firm.

Jobsites in Houghton where Asbestos Exposure Occurred

A number of jobsites in Houghton, MI have been identified as harboring asbestos containing materials. These sites, at one point in their history, were known to have exposed a variety of tradesmen to asbestos. We will be documenting in more detail how asbestos exposure occurred at these sites in the future on this web site.

Mesothelioma Cancer Centers Near Houghton, MI

For your convenience we have compiled a list of mesothelioma cancer centers that are located within a 100 mile radius of Houghton, MI. Please click on a cancer center link to obtain more information about the clinical programs offered, professional designations, areas of expertise and how to contact the center.