Karen Kasper | Episode #5

Karen Kasper is the vice president of the Ishpeming Historical Society and one of the Upper Peninsula’s most dedicated local historians and preservationists. A lifelong Ishpeming native who returned to her hometown in 2009, Karen has spent years uncovering and sharing the stories of the people, places, and events that shaped the community. Since beginning her volunteer work with the Ishpeming Historical Society, she has also become deeply involved with the Central U.P. and Northern Michigan University Archives, the Beaumier U.P. Heritage Center, the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum, and the Northland Historical Consortium. She has led Ishpeming cemetery tours since 2018, written extensively about local history, and received the Historical Society of Michigan’s 2020 Distinguished Volunteer of the Year award.

In this conversation, Karen talks about her fascination with history, the importance of preserving the stories of ordinary people, Ishpeming’s mining and cultural heritage, and why understanding the past is so important to understanding the Upper Peninsula today.