The Upper Peninsula Digital Network

09/09/2026

Our colleagues at MTU have created a new digital UP history resource: The UP Iron Atlas! The Atlas is a web application dedicated to exploring the historical heritage of iron mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Through a combination of interactive maps, and curated historical content, users can embark on a journey through the region's rich iron mining history. The application offers access to archival maps, GIS data, city directory records, and compelling narratives that highlight the significant role of iron mining in shaping the landscape and communities of the Upper Peninsula. It is still in testing, but you can already explore it here: https://mtu-vpol.github.io/upironatlas/

08/13/2026

Our Summer 2026 newsletter is now available here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/169545

The start of this summer marked UPLINK's five-year anniversary as an organization. In that time, we've grown from an initial group of about 12 historical societies to 33 member organizations across the Upper Peninsula. We've made 132,168 items from 213 collections of historical materials freely accessible to the public. We've run community digitization workshops, conducted many digitization and metadata trainings for our members, promoted UPLINK at countless conferences, dealt with a major database migration and website revamp, and more. Perhaps most importantly, we've made strong connections with our member organizations.

To celebrate this milestone, this newsletter features articles from two of those members. Emi Tinder of the Marquette Regional History Center discusses the upcoming Barnes-Hecker mine disaster centennial commemoration and the community collection she gathered for it. An upcoming massive newspaper collection from the Dickinson County Library is the topic of the second article by Emily Cummings, the Local History and Adult Services Specialist and Programming Coordinator at the Dickinson County Library. Finally, as always, there is a list of new collections for you to explore.

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07/24/2026

From 1970 to 2019, a sociologist named Jon Rieger conducted a photographic survey of Ontonagon County that is one of the longest running visual sociology studies in the world. Rieger's wonderful photography, oral history interviews, field notes, correspondence, and more are now available via UPLINK! Explore them here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/161212

07/15/2026

The Pickford Area Historical Society has added some of its past newsletters to UPLINK. Check them out here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/168905

06/26/2026

UPLINK will have an information table at the UP History Conference in Marquette this Saturday. If you're attending the conference, come say hello!

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06/19/2026

Painesdale Mine and Shaft just issued a new newsletter! Check it out on UPLINK: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/167044

06/17/2026

UPLINK has a new member: the Norwegian Lutheran Church Historical Society of Calumet! They just uploaded ministerial rolls, minutes, and financial records from 1871 to 1961. Check them out here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/165103

06/12/2026

Doing genealogical research in the Saint Ignace area? Check out the new "Names File" from the Saint Ignace Public Library! This card file gives biographical information about thousands of people from Saint Ignace. Explore it here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/165106

06/08/2026

The Ishpeming Area Historical Society has released their summer newsletter! Learn about upcoming Barnes-Hecker memorial tours and more here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/165102

05/28/2026

UPLINK has a new community donation! Margaret Decaire, a student at Northern State Normal School in the 1920s, wrote a history of Clarksburg and created a census of Diorite as part of her coursework. They are now available on UPLINK for anyone to explore! See them here: https://uplink.nmu.edu/node/163725