Baraga began with the establishment of the Holy Name Mission at this site by Rev. Frederic Baraga in 1843.
The post office opened with the name Bristol on June 29, 1869, and changed to Baraga on May 11, 1870.
In 1993, the Baraga Correctional Facility was opened in the town.
On May 30, 2022, a consortium including Finnish technology giant Wärtsilä, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), and Burns & McDonnell unveiled a contract with Milwaukee-based WEC Energy’s subsidiary Upper Michigan Energy Resources for a fuel testing pilot.