The Ghost Town of Gay, Michigan (Part 6)

The town of Gay, Michigan sits on Lake Superior with a 265-foot smokestack rising from apocalyptic black sand beaches that can't grow grass. This isn't a warzone—it's what's left after the Mohawk Mining Company extracted half a billion dollars in copper, then sold every house in town for three to seven dollars and vanished. The stamp sands here are so loaded with arsenic they've been called a hellscape, covering what used to be prime whitefish spawning grounds with toxic waste that looks like the surface of the moon.

From 1906 to 1932, Gay was a company town built on copper wealth. Miners discovered Mohawkite here—a rock found nowhere else on Earth—and built a fortress of industry on Superior's shore. When the company liquidated in 1933, they sold 5,000 acres for $25,000 and homes for a dollar per room. What remains is one of the most haunting ghost towns in Michigan: concrete ruins jutting from clear water like derailed train cars, wooden dock remnants stretched like dinosaur bones, and an eerie silence broken only by waves washing toxic sand.

This episode also explores the origin of "what in the Sam Hill," the Gay Bar's decade under ownership by the Dicks family, and why you shouldn't make plans when traveling alone.

Subscribe to Hometown History for forgotten American history stories every week. New episodes release Tuesdays.

Show Notes: In This Episode:

• The Mohawk mine paid out nearly half a billion dollars before going bust in 1932
• Toxic arsenic-laden stamp sands created a lunar landscape that still can't grow vegetation
• When the company left, they sold every house for $3-7 and the entire town for $25,000
• Mohawkite—a unique copper-arsenic rock—was discovered here and exists nowhere else on Earth
• The ruins feature apocalyptic concrete structures, a 265-foot smokestack, and haunting silence
• Samuel Hill's legendary swearing gave us the phrase "what in the Sam Hill"
• From 1973-1983, the Dicks family owned the Gay Bar (yes, really)

Key Figures:

• Samuel Hill - Eagle Harbor adventurer whose profanity created an American phrase
• Norm Dicks - Gay Bar owner (1973-1983) who covered the walls with 240+ weapons
• Clarence Monat - Local historian who documented the stamp sand "hellscape"

Timeline:

• 1906: Mohawk mine begins operations at Gay, Michigan
• 1906-1931: Mine produces nearly $500 million in copper (adjusted for inflation)
• 1932: Mine operations cease after 26 years
• 1933: Mohawk Mining Company begins liquidation
• 1934: 5,000 acres sold to Copper Range Company for $25,000
• 1973-1983: Norm Dicks owns the Gay Bar, decorating with 240+ firearms
• Present: Toxic stamp sands remain, creating a barren apocalyptic landscape

Tags: Gay Michigan, ghost town, Mohawk mine, toxic stamp sands, Upper Peninsula history, Michigan copper mining, Keweenaw Peninsula, company town history, 1900s mining, Lake Superior, American industrial history, forgotten history, true story, Mohawkite, mining ruins, copper country, Sam Hill origin, abandoned mines, industrial archaeology

Category: History

Chapter Markers: 0:00 - Introduction: A Town Called Gay 2:30 - Samuel Hill and the Origin of an American Phrase 5:00 - Eagle Harbor Lore: Watered Whiskey and Coffee Runs 7:00 - The Midnight Accord: When Plans Go Wrong 9:30 - Delaware Underground: A Self-Guided Mine Tour 12:00 - Arriving in Gay: Blueberries, Signs, and Sloppy Joes 15:00 - The Gay Bar and the Dicks Dynasty (1973-1983) 17:00 - The Mohawk Mine Hellscape: Toxic Stamp Sands 20:00 - Half a Billion Dollars: The Rise of Gay 22:00 - $3 Houses: The Fall and Abandonment 24:00 - Conclusion: Silence, Ruins, and Mortality

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hometownhistory/exclusive-content

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy