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Monday 10am - 2pm Wednesday 10am - 2pm Friday 10am - 2pm Saturday 10am - 2pm

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Iron County Wisconsin Historical Society Museum

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Hurley, WI
Iron County Wisconsin Historical Society Museum

The Iron County Historical Society Museum is volunteer run & located in Hurley WI in the old courthouse, National Register of Historic Places.

We have an large collection of historical artifacts, publications, documents and photographs dating from before Iron County was founded in 1893 to recent years. Visit our exhibits on logging and mining, important industries in our history. Take a walk trough Grandma's house in our Kitchen, Living Room and Bedroom exhibits. Enter the past when you walk through our one room school, tavern, funeral p

arlor and courtroom. See how we honored our veterans and how we once dressed. And of course, no visit would be complete without a stop to our clock tower and weaving room.

05/12/2026

May 6-12 is National Nurses Week! During this weeklong celebration, we salute the dedication and commitment nurses have for not only their profession, but for the people they care for. Photo: Pictured here is the second class of the Gogebic Unit of the Northern Michigan University, Marquette, School of Practical Nursing, consisting of students from Bessemer, Hurley, Ironwood, Mercer, and Montreal. The group began their studies on February 11, 1963, received trading at Grand View and Divine Infant Hospitals, and graduated in January 1964. Their instructors were Mrs. Carl Lundin and Mrs. Emil Mascotti standing in front of the group, left to right). Pictured in the first row, left to right, are Mrs. Matt Pumala, Mrs. George Wesa, Mrs. Emmett Masse, and Mrs. Lael Oestreich. In the second row, from left to right, are Barbara Michela, Karen Lukach, Mrs. Charles Vittone, and Mrs. Mary Peterson. In the third row, from left to right, are Patricia Re, Anton Kostac, Sandra Anderson, and Florian Partyka. In the last row, from left to right, are Lawrence Kutz, Donald Trevarthen, Clayton Valle, Laurie Rosenberg, Mrs. Chester Modjewski, and Mrs. Millie Gouza. Source: The Iron County Museum.

05/10/2026

Today is a day to honor all women who provide a motherly influence in our lives. Today is Mother’s Day! Mother’s Day was first created by Anna Jarvis when she had a service held in memory of her mother at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia in 1908. President Woodrow Wilson signed the law that made Mother’s Day into law making it a national holiday in 1914. We at the Iron County Wisconsin Historical Society Museum would like to wish all mothers and mother figures a Happy Mother’s Day! Photo: Mary LaFortune Belanger of Saxon is pictured here with two of her children, Aldea and Vina, in circa 1899-1900. Source: The Iron County Museum.

05/03/2026

60 years ago today, Erspamer’s Supermarket (currently the Brite Spot 2) opened its doors in its new location between First and Second Avenues on the south side of Silver Street for the first time! John “Jack” Erspamer and his brother, Raymond “Ray”Erspamer, who bought the business from their father, Herman Erspamer, in 1954, welcomed the public into the newly constructed building featuring an on-site bakery, a “spacious vegetable display”, and meat department offering “personalized meat cutting service”. The new building featured 9,000 square feet of floor space (covered in red carpeting), which was over double the size of the previous building located on Granite Street, where the Aspirus Hurley Clinic is now. The plan for this new building was first announced in April of 1965. That summer, the old buildings inhabiting the site were razed, and construction was in full swing by fall of the same year. The official grand opening was held later on in June, 1966. Photo: Jack and Ray are pictured here with their wives on May 3, 1966 in the newly opened Erspamer’s Supermarket. Pictured from left to right is Rose, Jack, Christine, and Ray Erspamer. Source: The Mark Erspamer Collection.

05/01/2026

It’s time to get your fishing rods out of storage and dust off your tackle box! Tomorrow is the opening day of the Wisconsin fishing season! We would like to wish everyone who plans to go fishing this weekend the best of luck and that they stay safe. We would love to see your pictures of fishing trips from days gone! Feel free to post them in the comments. Photo: Robert & John Grandelis of Cary, WI definitely had a good day of fishing when this picture was taken in 1957. They are pictured with the fish they caught on Lake Pardee near Wakefield. They caught a total of 4 muskies. The largest weighed 14 lbs & Smallest was 9 lbs. Source: August 1957 PM Iron News

04/27/2026

We would like to thank the Range Master Gardeners for coming out to the museum yesterday to do some work on the rock garden. We are so grateful for all of these hardworking volunteers who have helped spruce up our landscaping and show it some much needed love.

04/21/2026

Today is National Kindergarten Day! On this day, we celebrate and honor the birthday of Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel. Fröbel is recognized as founding the first Kindergarten in 1837 in Germany based off the philosophy that children learn from their experiences and through playing. The first Kindergarten in the United States was created by Margarethe Schurz in 1856 when she held classes (in German) for her daughter and other relatives in her own home. When word had gotten out about what she was doing, other families wanted their children to participate as well. She then moved into a one-room school that is still stand today. Photo: Mr. Tallman’s morning kindergarten class at the Hurley K-12 School gathered in the story pit for story time when this picture was taken during the 1998-1999 school year. Source: 1999 Hurley Elementary Yearbook.

04/16/2026

It’s time to salute the professionals who help information available for the public. It’s National Librarian Day! Besides checking out books, librarians are responsible for making sure their library’s collection is up to date and relevant, organizing events for the public, and making sure their libraries have up to date technology, among other tasks. Photo: Hurley city librarian, Mrs. Milda H. LaFave, looks at the the new mosaic that was presented to the library by the J. E. Murphy High School Art Department made by Juliann Hoeft (center) & Tom Traczyk (Right) in March, 1964. The mural was entitled "Two Stallions Fighting on the Desert Plain". It measured 8 ft long by 4 ft high and was made with Italian tile. The project was under the supervision of art director T. J. LaBlonde. The picture was taken by Modern Portrait Studios for one of the local papers. Source: The Iron County Museum.

04/14/2026

It's time to air out your dirty laundry… and get it cleaned! Tomorrow is National Laundry Day! This celebration focus on the importance of clean clothing and recognizes the evolution of laundry technology from the days of using washboards to washing machines. This special day also encourages us to take the time to make adaptions to how we do our laundry or to use today to teach a child how to do it. Photo: Rose Erspamer’s clotheslines were filled with clean laundry when this picture was taken in April, 1952 in Hurley, WI. Source: The Mark Erspamer Collection.

04/13/2026

The Iron County Wisconsin Historical Society Museum is excited to partner with the Wisconsin Historical Society in hosting a traveling exhibit as a part of their History Makers Tour. This event, which was launched in 2023, brings free pop-up exhibits, displays, public programs, object displays, and much more to local communities in the state of Wisconsin. We are excited to announce that we currently have the “We Take Our Football Seriously” display on the main floor of the museum! Come learn more about the impact football has had on our state’s history and culture. You can see this display by visiting us on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This exhibit will be at our museum until May 27. We look forward to your visit!

04/11/2026

Goldfish, hamsters, and dogs, oh my! Today is National Pet Day! Today we recognize and honor those special animal companions in our lives as well as bring awareness to the pets that are orphaned and in need of a good home. We would love to see your pictures of your beloved pets of yesteryear. If you would like to share them with us, you can post them in the comments or, if you’d rather not post them publicly, you share them in a private message. Photo: Charles Johnson of Hurley, WI is pictured with his pet deer in 1927. Source: The Iron County Museum.

04/08/2026

It’s time to roll out the barrel! Today is National Beer Day! On this day in 1933, the first step of the end of Prohibition was made when then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt signed a bill into law that allowed the making and selling of beer to be sold in the United States by individuals as long as it stayed below 4.0% ABV (Alcohol by Volume). Photo: Brian “Scutta” Buccanero of Iron Belt, WI was enjoying a glass of beer when this picture was taken of him and his wife Gail at Lucy and Ken’s Bar in Hurley, WI in the 1950’s. Source: The Ken and Lucy Gustafson Collection.

Address

303 Iron Street
Hurley, WI
54534

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 2pm
Wednesday	10am - 2pm
Friday	10am - 2pm
Saturday	10am - 2pm

Telephone

(715) 561-2244

Website

facebook.com

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