Hurley & Ironwood
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Anton-Walsh House is your home-away-from-home with the warm ambiance of a small town wrapped with an abundance of natural wonders, outdoor activities and colorful heritage. To make reservations, use the handy email form at the bottom of the Rooms & Reservations page, or call us at: 715/561-2065.

Consider some of the wonders surrounding the Anton-Walsh House:

Lake Superior (containing 10% of the world's fresh water);
Sparkling lakes;
More than a million acres of national and state forests;
Scores of waterfalls, two with drops of 90 feet within a half hour's drive;
Copper Peak Ski Flying Hill; the largest ski jump ever constructed in the world;
Porcupine Mountains Wilderness Area and Lake of the Clouds;
Wildlife, from deer and song birds to bear, moose, loons, and bald eagles; and in 2001 we'll reintroduce 30 pair of elk to Iron County;
Native American casino gambling;
Live theatrical productions in an old, restored vaudeville theatre;
Historical museums in an old court house and railroad depots;
Hundreds of miles of wooded trails for mountain bikers, Nordic skiers, snowmobilers, and ATV riders;
A variety of Alpine ski areas making this the best skiing in the Midwest.

Winter spring summer or fall, you'll discover fairs and festivals or strike out on your own for a memorable, rejuvenating time. To learn more about activities specific to the seasons, view the pages available through the links on the upper left side of this page.

A Rich and Colorful Heritage

The city of Hurley, on the border with Michigan's Upper Peninsula, made a name for itself as a wild and woolly outpost during the region's iron mining and lumbering days in the late 1800s. That reputation continued well into the twentieth century when Hurley was known for the highest number of liquor licenses per capita in the U.S., along with gambling houses and bordellos.

Hurley barely noticed Prohibition and some locals even warred with federal agents south of town in 1920. Brothers Al and Ralph Capone, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and even Frank Sinatra all made Hurley night life a little more exciting when they vacationed here to cool down from Chicago's heat. From the 1890 murder of prostitute and entertainer Lotta Morgan -- immortalized in Edna Ferber's Come and Get It -- to the quiet passing of Ralph "Bottles" Capone in a Hurley nursing home, the community earned its title, "The Most Infamous Little Town in America."

Hollywood's Samuel Goldwyn adapted Ferber's novel -- where Hurley was known as "Iron Ridge" -- into a major motion picture in 1936. Directed by Howard Hawks, it starred Edward Arnold; Joel McRae; Frances Farmer as Lotta Morgan; and Walter Brennan, who won an Oscar® for his performance.

Hurley 2000 - Four Seasons of Fun

Today Hurley is best known for the glorious waterfalls that can be discovered nearby on the Montreal River and others leading to Lake Superior. The area is famous for its "silent sports," as a nightspot for snowmobilers who flock to the area to take advantage of hundreds of miles of groomed trails, and the skiers who enjoy the Midwest's best Alpine skiing. With an average annual snowfall near 200 inches, the area is known as Big Snow Country.

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Seen from our guest rooms, the old courthouse is now a great museum.

Anton-Walsh House offers you a great central location to rest your head when exploring the north woods.