Chassell, Michigan

In 1855, the land that included what was to become Chassell was acquired from the state of Michigan by the St. Mary's Canal and Land Company. In 1863, Francis Jacker built one of the first buildings in the area, a log cabin close to the mouth of the Sturgeon River. In 1867, John Chassell (1814–1883) of New York, purchased farmland from the St. Mary's Canal and Land Company where the community is now located. In 1865, Chassell was influential in raising the $160,000 capital with which the First National Bank of Houghton was founded. Chassell served as the first Cashier of the bank. He was also a founding member of a major contributor to the Houghton County Historical Society and Mining Institute.

Chassell sold his land in 1881 to Orrin W. Robinson, manager of the Sturgeon River Lumber Company and later Lieutenant Governor of Michigan. Robinson lived in Chassell's home until later building a new one on the same lot. The company was established in 1872 and owned large tracts of land in the area and with mill operations in Hancock. The owners of that company also organized the Sturgeon River Boom Company in 1875, which dug a canal to bring logs from the Sturgeon to Pike Bay. To accommodate expansion, the mills and principal operations were moved from Hancock to Chassell in 1887-88. By that time, the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway had extended a line to the area with a stop at Chassell. The first post office was established there in February 1888.

On April 14, 1888, Chassell Township was organized. The name was taken from the community, which had been named in honor of John Chassell by Robinson. The area had at first been known simply as Pike's Bay and later as Robinson. However, there was at that time another post office with the name Robinson in Ottawa County, Michigan and postal regulations did not allow two offices with the same name in the same state.

For the 2020 census, Chassell was included as a newly-listed census-designated place.{{Cite web |title=State of Michigan Census Designated Places - Current/TAB20 - Data as of January 1, 2020 |url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/tab20/tigerweb_tab20_cdp_mi.html |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=tigerweb.geo.census.gov}}{{Cite web |title=Geographic Names Information System |url=https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/2806333 |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=edits.nationalmap.gov}}

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Chassell CDP has a total area of {{convert|3.62|sqmi|km2|2}}, all of which is land.

Chassell lies on Pike Bay, a bay of Portage Lake, near the mouth of the Sturgeon River. The community lies about {{Convert|6.1|mi|km}} south of the city of Houghton.

{{US Census population

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| 2020 = 876

| footnote = U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}

}}

{{Expand section|date=September 2023}}

The high school building was built in 1912 and, together with a 1917 elementary school, has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2009 as the Chassell School Complex.{{cite web |title=Chassell School Complex |url=https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/09000473 |website=NPGallery Digital Asset Management System |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=16 June 2018}} In 1992, the schools were moved to Chassell Township School, which serves as a K-12 public school.{{cite web |title=Dates in the History of Chassell, Michigan |url=http://www.chassell.info/histbydecades.htm |access-date=16 June 2018}}

• Indian Trails bus lines operates daily intercity bus service between Hancock, Michigan, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.{{cite web|title=HANCOCK-MARQUETTE-GREEN BAY-MILWAUKEE |publisher=Indian Trails |date=January 15, 2013 |access-date=2013-03-08 |url=http://www.indiantrails.com/sites/default/files/1490_0.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222225859/http://www.indiantrails.com/sites/default/files/1490_0.pdf |archive-date=2014-02-22 }}

• {{Jct|US|41|state=MI}} follows a north–south route through the community. The highway can be used to access Baraga, L'Anse, and Marquette, to the south, and Houghton and Hancock, to the north.

File:Flag of Chassell, MI.jpg|Flag of Chassell

File:ChassellMichiganDowntownUS41.jpg|Downtown Chassell

File:ChassellMichiganPostOfficeUS41.jpg|Post office

File:ChassellMichiganSignUS41.jpg|Entering Chassell on US Route 41

File:Chassell Museum 8-2023.jpg|Chassell Historical Organization

File:Chassell School Complex B 2009.jpg|Chassell School Complex

• Copper mining in Michigan

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.chassell.info/histbydecades.htm Dates in the History of Chassell, Michigan]
• [http://www.chassell.info/John%20Chassell.htm Chassell Michigan is Named in honor of John Chassell]
• {{cite book | last = Romig | first = Walter | year = 1986 | title = Michigan Place Names | orig-year= 1973 | publisher = Wayne State University Press | location = Detroit, Michigan | isbn = 0-8143-1838-X}}
• {{cite book |title=Biographical record; this volume contains biographical sketches of leading citizens of Houghton, Baraga and Marquette Counties, Michigan |orig-year=1903 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arh7481.0001.001 |access-date=2007-07-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=102 |chapter=s.v. Hon. Orrin W. Robinson |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=works;idno=arh7481.0001.001;didno=ARH7481.0001.001;view=image;seq=108;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset; }}
• {{cite book |last=Sawyer |first=Alvah L. |title=A history of the northern peninsula of Michigan and its people |orig-year=1911 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/bac9274.0003.001 |access-date=2007-07-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=1233 |chapter=s.v. Hon. Orrin W. Robinson |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=works;idno=BAC9274.0003.001;didno=BAC9274.0003.001;view=image;seq=00000243 }}
• {{cite book |title=History of the upper peninsula of Michigan |orig-year=1883 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/arg9598.0001.001 |access-date=2007-07-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=275 |chapter=Houghton County |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=arg9598.0001.001;size=l;frm=frameset;seq=273 }}
• {{cite book |last=Weston |first=William J. |author2=Hancock, C. F. |title=Plat book of Houghton County, Michigan |orig-year=c1911 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/5117704.0001.001 |access-date=2007-07-21 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=7 |chapter= s.v. Range 32 West Town 53 North |chapter-url=http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;rgn=works;idno=5117704.0001.001;didno=5117704.0001.001;view=image;seq=20;page=root;size=s;frm=frameset; }}

{{commons category|Chassell, Michigan}}

{{Houghton County, Michigan}}

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Category:Unincorporated communities in Houghton County, Michigan

Category:1887 establishments in Michigan

Category:Unincorporated communities in Michigan

Category:Census-designated places in Houghton County, Michigan

Category:Census-designated places in Michigan