Baraga Post Office Named After Pioneer Woman Legislator

The Post Office in Baraga is now officially named after a groundbreaking Baraga County woman.

Legislation designating the building as the “Cora Reynolds Anderson Post Office” was signed into law by President Joe Biden last week. The bill was sponsored by Michigan U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow. 

Cora Reynolds Anderson was born in L’Anse in 1882, into the Ojibwa tribe. She was a member of the first graduating class of L’Anse High School, and went on to earn a teaching degree. In 1924, she was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, becoming the first woman to serve in the state house, and the first woman of Native American heritage to serve in any state legislature. 

Anderson served one term in Lansing. She continued to lobby for Native American fishing rights and health issues, and was also active as an organizer with the Michigan Grange. She died in 1950, and was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2001.

Peters said naming the post office after Anderson will help cement her legacy as a dedicated leader and public servant.