Ironwood is located at the very western end of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula in Gogebic County. It is situated across the Montreal River from Hurley, Wisconsin, which marks the boundary between the two states. Its economic base includes lumber processing and forest products manufacturing, concrete production, tool manufacturing and tourism. A popular skiing area during the winter, it has several slopes nearby, including Mt. Zion to the north, which overlooks Gogebic Community College. Ironwood was named after James R. Wood, an early businessman in the mid 1880’s who was known for making deals with mining companies, earning the nickname: "Iron" Wood. The Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western Railroad, (now the Chicago & Northwestern), had built a line to the area by 1886 linking it to the rest of the world and assuring its long-term future. It was incorporated as a village a year later, and then as a city in 1889.