Abandoned mining village is popular in the summer.
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OLD VICTORIA -- Back in its heyday, the remote Ontonagon County village of Victoria had 750 residents. Now its population is zero.
The old mining village was abandoned when the Victoria Copper Mine closed in 1921.
Sunday was Log Cabin Day in Michigan and to celebrate, people could take a walk back in time to Old Victoria, near the town of Rockland. From 1899 to 1921, copper mining families lived in the log homes.
"In 1910, there were about 12 European countries represented here; a lot of the people were immigrants," said Site Manager Patty Pattison. "Some of them stayed here a year or two, some stayed ten years, most of them moved on in a short time and moved to another mine site."
Fresh from the wood stove, visitors could taste a cinnamon roll and take a tour of the four restored homes.
For some, coming back said it's impressive to see the hard work that has been put into these cabins.
"Dad would bring us here, and it was all just in ruins and it was just so neat to see them restored; the antiques, the textiles are just amazing," said Menominee resident Barbara Anderson.
The Society for Restoration of Old Victoria maintains the cabins and keeps the site open through the summer.
"We depict the lives of the people that settled this country--the hard working miners, the people that come from Europe to find a new home and new country," Pattison said.
Their next big event is their craft fair on August 16.
