Iron Pioneers: The Marquette Trilogy: Book One

Back in Boston, the thought of settling in a new land had seemed a romantic adventure to share with her new husband. Now, despite the lush green trees, and the sandy golden beaches, she began to fear what wild animals or unfriendly Indians might lurk in those woods, and she sensed the loneliness to come of being so far from her family.

When iron ore is discovered in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in the 1840s, newlyweds Gerald Henning and his beautiful socialite wife, Clara, travel from Boston to the little village of Marquette, on the shores of Lake Superior.

The Hennings and their companions—Irish and German immigrants, French Canadians, and fellow New Englanders—dream of a great metropolis at the center of the iron ore industry. Despite blizzards, near starvation, devastating fires, and financial hardships, these iron pioneers persevere. In time, their wilderness village becomes integral to the Union cause in the Civil War and, then, a prosperous modern city.

Meticulously researched, warmly written, and spanning half a century, Iron Pioneers is a testament to the spirit that forged America.