NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN

by Suzy Miller, August 23, 2026

WHERE IS NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN?

Newberry is the county seat of Luce County and the only incorporated community. It's within McMillan Township, and lies along M-123, which runs north-south through its center. M-28 passes about three miles south of town.

This position makes Newberry the southern gateway to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, about a 30- to 40-minute drive northeast. Newberry is surrounded by miles of state and national forests.

It's also near Lake Superior’s shoreline to the north and gives easy access to hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands, inland lakes, and rivers. Newberry was designated as "the Moose Capital of Michigan" by the state legislature.

Why Newberry is the Moose Capital of Michigan

NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN HISTORY

The lands around present-day Newberry were home to the Ojibwe (Chippewa) people. They were part of the Anishinaabe nations who lived throughout the Upper Great Lakes region for centuries.

The Indigenous communities hunted, fished, and traded along the rivers and forests of what is now Luce County.

They participated in the fur trade that shaped the region after French explorers arrived in the 1600s. Permanent settlement came much later. In the early 1880s the area was still largely wilderness.

In 1882, Detroit industrialist and U.S. Representative John Stoughton Newberry, along with other investors, established the Vulcan Furnace Company near a newly completed railroad line connecting the Marquette Iron Range to St. Ignace.

John Stoughton Newberry

The company produced charcoal iron, using charcoal made from the abundant local hardwood forests. A clearing of about 30 acres became the foundation of the settlement.

It was initially known as Grant’s Corner or Grant’s Camp.
Logging camps soon dotted the surrounding countryside, turning the village into a busy hub for lumberjacks and mill workers between the 1880s and early 1900s.

The village was named for John S. Newberry and was incorporated in 1885. When Luce County was organized in 1887 (separated from Chippewa County), Newberry was designated the county seat. Its first courthouse was completed in 1890.

Crisp Point Light Historical Society & Lighthouse on Lake Superior

The Newberry State Hospital

The Newberry State Hospital, originally the Upper Peninsula Asylum for the Insane (or Upper Peninsula Hospital for the Insane), was authorized by Michigan’s Public Act 210 of 1893 to serve the mentally ill of the Upper Peninsula.

Construction began in 1894 on donated land near Newberry, and the cottage-plan facility opened to patients in November 1895, with the first transfers arriving from Traverse City.

Renamed Newberry State Hospital in 1911 and later the Newberry Regional Psychiatric Hospital in 1977, it expanded over hundreds of acres and once housed more than a thousand residents.

It closed in 1992 amid statewide deinstitutionalization efforts; the grounds were transferred to the Department of Corrections and became the Newberry Correctional Facility.

NEWBERRY, MICHIGAN TODAY

Newberry’s population is 1,446 as of the 2020 U.S. Census. Its economy blends forestry with tourism, healthcare, and the Newberry Correctional Facility.

Helen Newberry Joy Hospital is a key local employer. Downtown has a modest selection of shops, gift stores, and restaurants.

Places like Timber Charlie’s Food & Spirits cater to both locals and visitors with hearty meals and a convenient location near snowmobile trailheads.

Large galleries or antique districts are limited, but visitors can find unique Upper Peninsula keepsakes and enjoy casual dining.

BBQ Rib Sandwich with onions & Pickles, steak fries & potato salad at Timber Charlie's Food & Spirits

Timber Charlie's Food & Spirits
BBQ Rib Sandwich with onions & pickles, steak fries & potato salad

Outdoor recreation defines the town’s modern identity. Hikers, kayakers, and anglers explore nearby lakes, rivers (including the famous Two Hearted River), and trails.

Crisp Point Lighthouse on Lake Superior has a museum and stunning beach. In winter, snowmobilers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers take advantage of the extensive maintained trails.

The Tahquamenon Logging Museum preserves the area’s lumber heritage. Oswald’s Bear Ranch and the short drive to Tahquamenon Falls draw nature lovers year-round.

Newberry is a welcoming base for those looking for authentic Yooper adventure amid the forests and waterways of the eastern Upper Peninsula.