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Michigan · Upper Peninsula · Big Snow Country · Wisconsin Border
Gogebic County, Michigan
Michigan's westernmost county and Big Snow Country — from Ironwood's ski resorts capitalizing on 200+ inches of annual lake-effect snowfall to the Black River National Scenic Byway's five Lake Superior waterfalls, the Gogebic Iron Range's abandoned mine landscapes, and the UP's western tip where Michigan reaches into Wisconsin's cultural orbit.
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Office: Gogebic County Emergency Management/LEPC – 200 N. Moore St, Bessemer, MI 49911 | (906) 667-1118; Coordinator Heidi DeRosso.
Emergency 911 dispatching is contracted out of county to Negaunee Regional Dispatch.
Sheriff: Gogebic County Sheriff’s Office – 100 W Iron St, Bessemer, MI 49911 | (906) 667-0203; Sheriff Cruz (born and raised in Ironwood, holds an Associate’s degree in Criminal Justice from Gogebic Community College); provides contracted primary law enforcement to the Cities of Bessemer and Wakefield in addition to countywide service; total land area 1,102-1,165 square miles.
Notes: For an active emergency, call 911.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: US-2 serves Bessemer, the county seat, in the far western Upper Peninsula near the Wisconsin border; Ironwood is the county’s largest city.
Notes: Gogebic County was founded in 1887, named for Lake Gogebic. Ironwood was laid out in 1885 and named for iron dealer James R. “Iron” Wood; the Gogebic Range hosted a major deep-shaft iron-mining industry that peaked in 1920 and ceased in 1967.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Gogebic County Courthouse – 200 N. Moore St, Bessemer, MI 49911.
Notes: Gogebic County is genuinely home to Copper Peak, located near Ironwood – the only ski flying hill in the entire Western Hemisphere and the largest ski jump on the American continent. Conceived by the Gogebic Range Ski Club as early as 1935 and finally built in 1969-70 (opened for competition in 1970), the 469-foot hill hosted ten FIS-sanctioned ski flying competitions between 1970 and 1994, including the massive 1981 event; a renovation and reopening effort began in the 2020s. Its observation deck, reached by an 800-foot chairlift and elevator, sits roughly 1,000 feet above Lake Superior with views into three states and Canada on clear days. Ironwood is also home to the towering Hiawatha statue (dubbed the “World’s Tallest Indian”) and serves as the manufacturing headquarters of the iconic Stormy Kromer wool cap, with public factory tours available.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
Office: Gogebic County Veterans Affairs – confirm current contact via gogebic.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
Confirm current Bessemer/Ironwood-area public library address/phone via gogebic.gov.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Copper Peak, the Hiawatha statue, Black River Scenic Byway (with Great Conglomerate, Potawatomi, Gorge, Sandstone, and Rainbow Falls), and the historic Ironwood Theatre (home to a working 1928 Barton pipe organ) are the county’s premier attractions.
Notes: The genuine “only ski flying hill in the Western Hemisphere” distinction at Copper Peak is one of the most singular recreational facts covered anywhere in this project.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
Appraisal/Parcel Search: Gogebic County Equalization Office – confirm current contact via gogebic.gov.
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
H.O.P.E. Animal Shelter (Help Orphaned Pets Everywhere) – 590 Easy St, Ironwood, MI 49938 | (906) 932-1511; founded 1992, a no-kill, “no time limits” 501(c)(3) shelter and the sole animal shelter serving both Gogebic County, Michigan and Iron County, Wisconsin, caring for over 500 dogs and cats annually; supported by both counties’ appropriations.
Gogebic County Dog Pound – 100 W Iron Street, Bessemer, MI 49911 | (906) 667-0900.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Office: Gogebic County – confirm current contact via gogebic.gov.
NOTES: Gogebic County is the first county in the fifth batch of the Michigan v2 A+ sourced redo. The genuine “only ski flying hill in the Western Hemisphere” distinction at Copper Peak is one of the most singular recreational facts covered anywhere in this project. All contact information above was sourced via web search as of early August 2026 and should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit, deadline-sensitive filing, or emergency-adjacent decision.
About Gogebic County
Gogebic County is Michigan’s westernmost Upper Peninsula and Gogebic Iron Range county – the iron mining heritage that built Ironwood and Bessemer and the Porcupine Mountains wilderness and Ottawa National Forest define a county at the far western edge of Michigan’s UP near Wisconsin.
Bessemer (the county seat, population ~1,800) is Gogebic County’s governmental hub on US 2 near Wisconsin, an Upper Peninsula community whose Gogebic Iron Range heritage, Ottawa National Forest, Indianhead Mountain ski area, and Black River Harbor anchor its identity.
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Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Gogebic County Assessor at 200 N. Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911, phone 906-663-4518. MI assessed at 50% of true cash value.
Courts & Legal
Gogebic County Probate Court at 200 N. Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911, phone 906-663-4518, handles estates and probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
200 N. Moore St., Bessemer, MI 49911
(906) 663-4518
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Gogebic County Probate Court (estate/probate case files – see Probate section above).
Local societies
No dedicated Gogebic County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Gogebic County Probate Court 200 N. Moore Street, Bessemer, MI 49911 Gogebic County is in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula on the Wisconsin border, seated in Bessemer.
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Michigan probate is governed by the Estates and Protected Individuals Code (EPIC), MCL 700.1101 et seq.
Transfer by Affidavit (Small Estate Affidavit) – under MCL 700.3982/700.3983, available when the estate’s gross value (after funeral and burial expenses) doesn’t exceed a threshold that’s adjusted annually for inflation (roughly $50,000-$53,000 in recent years). No real estate can be involved. At least 28 days must pass after death before this affidavit can be used. The affidavit isn’t filed with the court; it’s presented directly to whoever holds the asset (a bank, for instance), along with a death certificate.
Petition and Order for Assignment (PC 556) – a small estate process for estates at or below the same statutory threshold, but this one CAN include real property. An heir or the person who paid the funeral bill files this petition with the probate court; the judge reviews and signs the order, and there’s a filing fee plus a statutory inventory fee based on estate value.
Informal Probate – the standard track for most estates above the small-estate threshold. Filed using Application for Informal Probate and/or Appointment of Personal Representative (PC 558); the court issues Letters of Authority (PC 573) to the personal representative without a hearing when the application is straightforward.
Formal/Supervised Administration – required when the will is contested, there’s a dispute over who should serve as personal representative, or the estate needs ongoing court supervision.
Step 2: filing for probate
Gather the death certificate, the will (if any), and an inventory of the decedent’s assets to determine which path fits.
File the appropriate petition or application with the Probate Court in the county where the decedent lived.
For informal probate, the court reviews the application and issues Letters of Authority appointing the personal representative, typically without a hearing.
The personal representative gathers and inventories assets, notifies and pays valid creditors, and – no earlier than 12 months after appointment – files a Sworn Closing Statement (PC 584) for informal probate, or a Petition for Complete Settlement (PC 585) followed by a court Order of Complete Settlement (PC 586) for formal administration.
What it costs
Michigan probate generally runs 7 to 18 months and costs roughly 3% to 7% of the estate’s value in typical cases.
Filing fees vary by petition type; a statutory inventory fee, set by MCL 600.871, is calculated based on the estate’s total value and applies to most probate filings.
Michigan does not require an attorney for probate, though many people use one for anything beyond a very simple estate.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
200 N. Moore St., Bessemer, MI 49911
(906) 663-4911
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
200 N. Moore St., Bessemer, MI 49911
(906) 663-4518
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
MI DHHS — Upper Peninsula Region
(906) 667-0200
Aspirus Ironwood Hospital
aspirus.org (Ironwood — quality community hospital; borders Wisconsin)
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Gogebic County Health Department – confirm current phone via gogebic.gov.
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Editorial Trust
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Reviewed by CountyOffices Editorial Team
Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Bessemer
Population: 14,000
Area: 1,102 mi²
Established: 1887
Tier: 3
Public Records
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Search public records for Gogebic County residents.
