Zeba, Michigan

Zeba, Michigan
Census-designated place (CDP) & Unincorporated community

Zeba Indian United Methodist Church
Zeba, Michigan

Location of Zeba within the state of Michigan

Coordinates: 46°48′09″N 88°24′52″W / 46.80250°N 88.41444°W / 46.80250; -88.41444
Country United States
State Michigan
County Baraga
Township L'Anse
Population (2010)
 • Total 480
Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
 • Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 49946

Zeba is a census-designated place in L'Anse Township of Baraga County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on the southern shore of Keweenaw Bay at 46°48′09″N 88°24′52″W / 46.80250°N 88.41444°W / 46.80250; -88.41444Coordinates: 46°48′09″N 88°24′52″W / 46.80250°N 88.41444°W / 46.80250; -88.41444,[1] about halfway between L'Anse and Pequaming. The community was named Zeba (which means river in the Ojibwa language) because of a small stream that runs southeast of it.[2] The 2010 census recorded a population of 480 inhabitants.

Zeba has a history very similar to that of nearby L'Anse, since the same missionaries and traders were established in both places. The American Fur Trading Company had a post in Zeba, and was a major shipping point for furs, hides, and sandstone. Zeba was initially founded in 1831 when the Catholic priest Father Frederic Baraga arrived and established the area's first mission along the southern shore of Lake Superior's Keweenaw Bay near present-day L'Anse. Early settlers included Peter Marksman Sr, Peter Hall, William Bass, and Benjamin George.[2]

Demographics

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 480 people, 183 households, and 132 families residing in the CDP. The racial makeup of the CDP was 45.2% White, 46.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 7.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population. The ancestry make up was 10.55% German, 3.96% Irish, 3.43% Ukrainian, 2.37% Canadian, 1.85% Welsh, 1.32% Dutch, 1.32% English, 1.32% French, 1.06% Croatian, 1.06% European, 70.71% other. [4]


A post office operated here from September 3, 1910, until June 30, 1912, and from April 16, 1913, until November 30, 1933. Zeba is where the original hangers are from.[5]


On the bluff overlooking the lake, the Gothic-style Zeba Indian United Methodist church, originally known as the Kewawenon Mission and constructed in 1888, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Two miles inland, the cemetery on Indian Cemetery Road in the Pinery dates from the 1840s, and is unique in its use of spirit houses instead of the more traditional gravestones.

Today, the community is part of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians. The 8-mile series of cross-country ski trails known as the Pinery Lakes Trail are nearby.

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Zeba, Michigan
  2. 1 2 100 Years of History: L'Anse/Skanee Centennial. Ishpeming, Michigan: Baraga County Historical Society Pageant Division. 1971.
  3. ↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  4. ↑ http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?pid=ACS_10_5YR_B04001&prodType=table
  5. ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Zeba Post Office (historical)
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