As the Glaciers receded from the lands of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, they left behind a great boulder of pure native copper. On a branch of the Ontonagon river thirty-five miles from the mouth, it rested in the waters guarded by 50 foot cliffs and cascading waters untraversable by boat. To get to the boulder meant crossing harsh terrains of several hundred foot peaks and marshy canyons. The boulder rested there for thousands of years, held sacred by local Indian tribes who felt it a glorious gift from the gods.

As the early settlers caught bits of tales of the boulder, explorers would from time to time set off to find it. Those that did brought back stories of the boulder, but due to its location and size, none could move it. The first stories about the boulder held that it was five tons. One early explorer was able to chip a one hundred pound piece from the boulder. Whether many were able to do this despite the hardness of the rock, whether the stories had been exaggerated, or maybe a for a bit of both reasons, the boulder, when finally pried from it