yellow thistle-like flower

by Barbara
(L'Anse, Michigan, USA)

please identify

The plant is 2-3 foot tall, yellow flowers (2" diameter) emerging from a pinecone-like base (1 1/2" diameter) . Some fuzziness on the leaves, but no pickers on any of it.

Growing wild. One large cluster about 2 foot in diameter, and another starting about 10 ft away.

On a north west slope in a grassy area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan