Combined mines → Michigan Mine → Became
Operated for: 20 years, off and on.
From: Around 1900
Owned by:
Produced: Copper Ore
Method: Underground shafts
Railroad connection: Mineral Range Keweenaw Bay branch after 1903. Then around 1906 moved by COPR to the Atlantic Mill.
Stamp Mill/Smelter: Mass stamp mill at Keweenaw Bay.
Until: 1920
Lifetime Production:
Image info: Top, a 1920's view of the Michigan Mine shaft house. [Greg Bunce collection]. 2nd image a broader view of the mine and townsite. [UML]. 3rd image, a close up view of the shaft house and nearby facilities. [UML]
The Michigan Mine was located in Section 15 of T50N-R39W. The Mine was on both the MILW and DSS&A Keweenaw Branch. The Minesotr (sic), Rockland and Superior mines were combined to create the Michigan Mine. The mine site and shafts were located southeast of the Village of Rockland.
The DSSA line was built in 1903 but truncated back to Riddle Jct. in 1913. The DSSA line west to Michigan Mine was a steep incline, from 417 feet (above Lake Superior) to 675 feet, a total increase of 258 feet in about two miles. [DSSM]
The Michigan mine was a consolidation of the Minesota, Rockland and Superior properties in 1899. The company sank three three shafts on the old Minesota property, employed 350 miners and started construction of a stamp mill on Keweenaw Bay. In 1910 the Board suspended operations at the time and construction of the mill. Mining restarted temporarily in Word War I but the mine closed for good in 1920. C&H took over in 1923 but only did exploratory work. [GB]
1906. The Michigan mine, near Rockland, resumed operations with a small force of men. The miners offered to do their own tramming and they went down under those conditions. All is quiet in the town. The strikers found responsible by the coroner's jury for the fatalities in the riot of last week are still under guard in the Town Hall. A large force of armed deputies is maintained to prevent further trouble. [LAS-1906-0811]
1907. February. Production of the Michigan mine at Rockland was reduced to some extent last month by storms and heavy fall of snow, which crippled the service of the Mineral Range railroad. No rock was shipped to the mill for a period of four days this week in view of the continuing inclement weather. [DFP-1907-0204]
1913. The MR pulls up their spur from Riddle Jct. to the Michigan mine as all ore is being transported on the COPR. [DSS]
1920. Mining is ended here.
1923. C&H does exploratory work here.
