St. Michael the Archangel Church was organized in 1892 when the first priest, Franciscan Fr. Casimir Hueppe, came to Iron River from Ashland. The first Mass celebrated in Iron River was in the Seuymour Hotel (still standing and now called the Ideal Restaurant). The current church and rectory were built on land donated to the parish by John A. Pettingill on January 9, 1893. Pettingill was not a member of the Catholic community, but his wife was. On December 7, 1949, tragedy struck the church. Faulty wiring caused a fire and destroyed part of the sanctuary and part of the roof. The current church has existed as it is since 1964 when a major renovation occurred.