Michigamme Reservoir Mansfield Township is the home of the Michigamme Reservoir in Iron County, Michigan. The reservoir size is 6,400 acres. There are walleyes, white suckers, northern pikes, yellow perch, black crappie, bluegill, smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and brook trout fish.

Mansfield Township is a civil township located within Iron County, MI. The population was 243 at the time of the 2000 census. The area is 107.7 mi² (99.3 mi² land / 8.4 mi² water). The local time zone is on Central Standard Time (CST). Mansfield Township, the smallest Iron County township, was created in 1891, when Felch township left Iron County to join the newly organized Dickinson County. Meanwhile, Crystal Falls Township gave up two geographical townships and one was added from lands received from Marquette County to form the present boundaries of Mansfield Township.

Logging, Mining and Farming Logging and mining primarily brought people to Mansfield Township. The land was forested with pine, and iron ore was discovered to be beneath the ground in 1889 by William Calhoun. The village of Mansfield, platted along the Michigamme River, was close to the mine being developed by the Mansfield Mining Company and the railroad spur that was extended to the mine from Crystal Falls in 1890. Tragedy struck on September 28, 1893, when the Michigamme River broke through the roof of the mine and caused 27 men to perish. Then, in 1894, a forest fire swept through the village destroying practically every home. This only added to the mining families’ already grim circumstances. The DeSoto Iron Company reclaimed the mine by diverting the Michigamme River and then later sold to the Oliver Mining Company. The mine produced a total of 1,462,504 tons of iron ore during its lifetime. After the Mansfield Mine closed, some miners turned to logging and others to farming. The Mansfield Location, a mining boom town, faded away. As time went on, some people still living in Mansfield Township commuted to Iron Mountain, Crystal Falls and other surrounding cities for employment. North of the Michigamme River is the area in Mansfield Township known as Dykes District or Dykesville. Mitchell Dykes, way back in the 1880s, began logging the area near the Fence River. Pine logs, cut in the winter, floated down the snowmelt swollen Fence River and the Michigamme River to the railroad spur in Mansfield during the spring. In 1950, due to the distance hardship (24.2 miles on mostly gravel roads) from Dykes District to Mansfield Township Hall and despite a declining population, Precinct #2 was built for voting and for meetings. In 2017, 12 registered voters used the precinct, which was later closed after the November 2018 elections.

Way Dam The Michigamme River cuts diagonally across Mansfield Township. In 1941, Wisconsin Electric (now known as WE Energies) built Way Dam. The dam, named for Chairman of the WI Electric Board, Sylvester B. Way, was built to create the 7000-acre Michigamme Reservoir. Steadily performing its intended purpose, the reservoir helps keep electric rates low for area residents, stabilizes downstream river flows, and provides recreational opportunities while contributing significantly to the local tax base. The majority of shoreline is undeveloped wilderness owned by WE Energies. Camping sites 12-14, 16, 20, 21, and 26 are found in Mansfield Township.

History of Mansfield Pioneer Church Click here for more information about the history of the church and renting it out.