The Norrie Mine was one of the prominent mines at Ironwood.
I received a few historical pictures from Ironwood. I wanted to pass them along as it has been difficult for me to find pictures from the west end of the Upper Peninsula. Above is the Norrie Mine. It was the first mine in Ironwood. Named after A. Lanfear Norrie, an explorer leading an expedition looking for iron, he found it. They sank a mine which was named after the discoverer and it became an extremely successful operation.
This old stereoview shows the view of Ironwood from the Norrie Mine.
Ironwood began as the camp for Norrie’s expedition. The foreman of the expedition was named Captain James Wood, nicknamed “Iron,” would receive the honor of the new settlement’s name, Ironwood. The town would soon prosper with mining operations springing up all around.
The view of Ironwood from the Ashland Mine. The city was growing quickly.
Ironwood grew fast. Looking closely at the photo above, several mine shafts can be seen on the horizon. The city is growing and the mines are running at full production. Almost all of the trees are gone. This was the beginning of what would be known as the Gogebic Iron Range. It would give life to communities all around, thriving off of iron mines. There were even attempts at gold and silver mining. Some did well with it while others did not.
This picture is titled “White Way” and shows downtown Ironwood at night in the early 1900s.
To this day Ironwood is a nice town to spend some time in. Much of it still has its turn of the century feel and remnants of its prosperous and historical past is represented all around.
Ironwood downtown today as the sun sets for evening.
A rare photo of the Ropes Gold Mine near Negaunee. This was taken 1860s near its beginning.
Over the last couple of months, I’ve come across some really nice mining pictures. I thought I would post them up for everyone to check out. The picture above is of the Ropes Gold Mine which was located north of Negaunee and Ishpeming. The mine was established in 1881 by Julius Ropes and produced consistent quantities of gold until 1897. It was reopened for a few years in the 1980s. News of the Ropes opening prompted a gold rush to Ishpeming. Suddenly there was no less than 13 gold mines in the surrounding area all producing some gold and silver.
The Ohio Iron Mine
This is a picture of the crew of the Ohio Iron Mine near Michigamme.
The iron range of the Marquette region was full of iron mines. Dozens of them operated west of Marquette nearly the entire distance to L’Anse. The Ohio Mine was one of them and was west of Michigamme. It opened in 1907 and operated for 7 years. It produced low grade ore and wasn’t profitable. The picture shows the mining crew of the Ohio. No shortage of man power here. This has to be close to 1914 when the mine shut down. It was briefly reopened in the 1950s as an open pit mine by Cleveland Cliffs International (CCI).
New York Mine
This is the interior of the New York Iron Mine located near Ishpeming.
The New York Mine was a hematite operation. Beginning in 1864, the New York produced high grade hematite iron ore. Located in Ishpeming, it was part of the iron boom that fueled the entire region. It gave out in 1919. The New York lasted longer than many mining operations and provided the raw materials for the industrial revolution. The picture shows the interior of the New York Mine in its early days of 1870.
Lake Superior Iron Mine
A small iron mining operation. The location and name is unknown.
Iron mining was prevalent throughout the central and western Upper Peninsula. Small companies started up and then crashed as quickly while other companies flourished with the rich deposits iron. This picture shows one of those small operations. Labeled simply as “Lake Superior Iron Mining,” it is an unknown digging probably somewhere around Ishpeming or Negaunee. Though they are hard to see, there are four miners in the background of the photo. Piles of ore and the mine entrance can be clearly seen. Mining was rough, hard and dangerous work.
Victoria Copper Mine
Riding the Rock Skip. The mining company warned men against doing this and taking ladders instead, but it was a common practice anyway.
Victoria is a copper mining ghost town near Rockland. It can still be visited today. The Victoria Mine was notorious for its safety problems, injuries and death were common. The picture, “riding the skip cart,” shows one of the miners going down into the shaft doing something that was against company rules. It was simply quicker and a couple of fatalities resulted from this. Victoria mine operated for nearly 50 years and was a solid copper producer.
A schooner barge is being loaded up with cargo at the Escanaba, Michigan coal dock.
Historical Photos – Escanaba, Michigan – Lake Michigan’s Northern Port.
Escanaba was founded as a northern port city in 1863. It established itself as a link to the Marquette Range iron ore. Iron was shipped from Marquette by railroad to Escanaba. The route saved time shipping from Marquette through the recently established Soo Locks and then downbound through the St. Mary’s into the upper Great Lakes. During the Civil War, this became a main supply point for the union army thirsty for iron ore to produce weapons and ammunition.
An unidentified man sits along the edge of the Escanaba River near one of the local rock formations.
Escanaba was founded upon an early Ojibwa village. The name “Escanaba” came from an Anishinaabe word meaning “Land of the Red Buck.” It is easy to understand why a tribe would have settled there with the large bay, the Escanaba River providing an abundance of fish. The bays De Noc (Big and little) are a reference to the tribe of Noquet that flourished there.
From the beginning, Escanaba thrived as a port and as a city. It’s strategic importance for shipping and commerce can’t be understated. As mining increased across the U.P. with mines opening in Iron Mountain, Iron River and Crystal Falls, all began shipping their ore out of Escanaba.
Added to this, the logging boom began. The timber resources from the surrounding area were rich. Like other parts of the U.P, the timber of the west end was thick and ripe for harvesting. The Escanaba River was a perfect artery for floating the logs to Lake Michigan.
The Sand Point Lighthouse in Escanaba was essential for shipping and marking the port in bad weather.
With the fast growing shipping, it was deemed necessary that a lighthouse should be placed in Escanaba. The Sand Point Lighthouse has shown since 1868 and it was lit by a woman. It warned mariners of a sand bar that was at the entrance to Escanaba Harbor. Construction began on Sand Point in 1864 and the first lightkeeper was named John Terry. He oversaw the construction and prepared the lighthouse for occupation along with his wife, Mary. Just before the light was supposed to be lit, John Terry died. Sand Point was scheduled to begin its beacon on May 13, 1868. Mary Terry made sure that happened and took over for her husband. She was officially appointed lightkeeper making her one of the very first women lightkeepers on the Great Lakes. Mary would serve until 1888 when she was killed in a freak fire in the lighthouse. Mrs. Terry would become one of several women who would faithfully serve in the Lighthouse Service.
A street view of Escanaba with the trolley running down the middle of Ludington Street.
Escanaba grew to over 3,000 in the 1880’s. The population has grown to over 15,000 at its peak and is around 12,000 today. It remains a thriving community and is one of the Upper Peninsula’s larger cities. It is still an active port. At one time, the docks of Escanaba were frequented by a pirate named “roaring” Captain Dan Seavey. He would raid ships and then sell the captured cargo wherever he could. (More on Dan Seavey)
Out for an afternoon drive in Escanaba. The people are unidentified.
The picture above is for a personalized postcard sent in 1917 taken in Escanaba. They had this picture taken to show off their new automobile. It was a new thing then and it appears they bought the best one they could find. Scarves are wrapped, the top is down and a cruise along Bay de Noc is warranted. There are no names on this to identify anyone other than the person it was sent to in Detroit.
Smelting is an early season sport. Thousands of the fish would run up the streams every spring. These ladies are all ready to scoop them out.
Though Escanaba is a working town, the Paper mill and a college keeps the city thriving. It is also a tourist destination with legendary fishing in Lake Michigan, local lakes and streams. There is a place for any kind of outdoor recreation no matter what the preference.
A dog sled race in Downtown Escanaba breaks up a long winter with some fun.
Even winter has its appeal here. Though wind coming off Lake Michigan can be brutal, winter activities are a part of the culture. Skiing, sledding, and ice fishing on Bay de Noc have been an ingrained part of the culture.
A historical photo of the Tilden House boarding house. It no longer stands.
Escanaba has had an eventful history and continues forward into the future of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
This is a postcard from around 1900 of the Aurora Mine shaft F in Ironwood, MI.
Time to take a journey, a small look back at Ironwood in its heyday. Built on the Michigan / Wisconsin border in 1885, the area became known for its rich deposits of iron on what became known as the Gogebic Range. Mines sprang up all around Ironwood including the Norrie, Aurora, Ashland, Newport, and Pabst. Mining is not without its hazards.
Miners heading down deep into the mine shafts. They rode down sometime to nearly a mile underground. It could drop as fast as 1000 feet per minute.
In September of 1929, after unusually heavy rains, a portion of the Pabst Mine collapsed trapping 40 men. 3 men were killed when an elevator snapped, causing a rock collapse which trapped the others. A massive rescue operation began immediately. The only nourishment they had after their workday lunch ran out, was tea they made from birch bark scraped from the wooden planks lining the mine walls and heated with the miners’ carbide lamps. For five days they waited, while those on the surface frantically worked to reach the trapped miners. When they finally did, all of them were still alive. Over 5,000 residents gathered to watch the lucky miners emerge from the mine.
This picture is of an Ironwood leatherhead football player. The only name I have for him is Ben.
Ironwood has always been a strong community. There are a large number of churches and always saw itself as an upright community, unlike its twin city on the Wisconsin side of the border, Hurley. The two towns are separated by the border and the Montreal River. In its early days Hurley was a dangerous town to be in, 60 saloons in one block, could lead to disaster at any time. Ironwood prided itself in being the opposite. Somehow the rough elements seemed to stay on the Wisconsin side of the river.
Ironwood had organized sports and schools that provided top notch educations. North Ironwood is the home of Gogebic Community College. Ironwood’s Luther Wright high school would the first built and to this day, the old high school is still educating an enrollment of 600 students.
Early postcard view of Suffolk Street in Ironwood.
Because of the high producing iron mines, Ironwood was a prosperous town. Ironwood got its name, not because of the tree (Ironwood), but was named after one of the mining captains, James Wood. His nickname was “Iron”, so he was called Iron Wood. Many of Ironwood’s original buildings still stand and the remnants of the iron days stand as relics to its past. A tour around town can reveal many sites of Ironwood’s iron days of yore. It is a still thriving community that takes pride in its history.
Portrait of unknown group of gentlemen in late 1800s. They seem dressed for an evening on the town.
For more information on Ironwood, check out these links.
My newest book, Faces, Places, & Days Gone By, is now available. The book contains over 100 historical pictures from my personal collection of Upper Peninsula images. The book is similar to what I’ve done over the years on this website with the historical pictures featured here. Each picture in the book features commentary and a look into Michigan’s past. Through the use of Stereoviews, cabinet cards, postcards and photo prints, there are photos from all corners the U.P. I will be carrying copies at my upcoming events including this weekend in Escanaba. This is one you won’t want to be without and it is suitable for all ages.
“With his book Faces, Places, and Days Gone By, historian Mikel B. Classen has achieved a work of monumental importance. Drawing from his collection of archival photographs, Classen takes readers on a journey in time that gives rare insight into a vanished world.” —Sue Harrison, international bestselling author of The Midwife’s Touch“
Mikel Classen’s Faces, Places, and Days Gone By provides a fascinating and nostalgic look at more than a century of Upper Michigan photography. From images of iron mines and logging to Sunday drives and palatial hotels, you are bound to be in awe of this chance to visit the past.” — Tyler R. Tichelaar, award-winning author of Kawbawgam: The Chief, The Legend, The Man
“Mikel Classen’s new book, Faces, Places, and Days Gone By, belongs in every library in Michigan. And when I say every library, I’m talking about every public, high school and college storehouse of knowledge.” — Michael Carrier, MA, New York University, author of the award-winning Jack Handler U.P. mystery series.
Those of you that know me, know I love a good ghost town. This is one of the best I’ve seen. In 1880, Silver was discovered in the north of the Black Range Mountains. The ore was discovered by a Brit by the name of Henry Pye. A few months after he filed his claim, he was killed by Apaches. But Pye’s discovery had gotten out. The town of Chloride was born and eventually swelled to nearly 3000 people.
Heny Pye’s cabin is pictured above. There were 12 producing mines and nearly 500 holes that had been dug by prospectors throughout the surrounding hills.
Chloride had 9 saloons, 3 general stores, restaurants, butcher shops, candy store, lawyers, doctors, Chinese laundry, 2 hotels, livery stable, smelter and sawmills.
Chloride began as a tent city. Hard Rock miners came from all around to try their hand at finding a motherlode in the mountains and canyons to the west of the town. The town grew as fast as it could be built.
Much of the town still remains and the words “Ghost Town can be applied loosely here. There are still a few hardy souls living here. They take care of the town and recognize it for the historical treasure that it is. A few locals keep it open for those of us that like to visit these kinds of places. There is no shortage of visitors to Chloride.
Main street in Chloride goes through the one tree that makes up the Chloride National Forest. It’s a 200-year-old oak that was there when the town began. I believe this tree was Chloride’s “Hangin’ Tree.” Though I haven’t found out how many men met their end here. For it to be named as it is, there had to be a few.
There is a museum at Chloride which is kept open most of the time. It is run by volunteers and is inside one of the old General Stores. The Pioneer Museum is housed in one of the original 1880 buildings and the interior is full of era correct artifacts. The building was originally built by a James Dagliesh who had the old timbers logged out of the nearby mountains. Eventually it became the local post office, pharmacy, and the local newspaper, The Black Range, was printed in the top floor beginning in 1882. Eventually, when the town began to die, so did the store.
When the store finally closed up for the last time, the owners boarded it up and covered it with metal roofing leaving the inside just as it was in 1923. They left everything including all of the stock, newspaper equipment, postal records, town records, original records of some of the early businesses, and even some of old copies of “The Black Range” newspaper. The building was sold in 1989 and after 4 years of restoration and cleaning, bats and rats had been living quite happily inside, the old store was turned into the Pioneer Museum. The items inside were a treasure trove. The end result is a great step back into time. I was also able to pick up a great map of New Mexico ghost towns for 10 bucks.
One of the things I really like about Chloride, is that the look and feel of the old silver mining town is still here. When the silver panic struck in 1893, Chloride began to die. The miners and settlers basically packed up and left everything as it was. A few stayed for a few years hoping that silver would recover but it never did enough to make it as profitable as it once was. An entire town was left behind. The dozen people that still live here, keep the town going for ghost town buffs and visitors. There is a small picnic and rest area in the heart of town next to the museum, visitation is encouraged. I recommend it.
The drive to Chloride is well worth it. Located between Socorro and Truth or Consequences just off New Mexico 52. The road goes through Cuchillo and Winston which are both ghost towns as well and worth checking out. A sign at Winston points left and Chloride is two miles down the road.
I don’t know why ghost towns hold such a fascination for me, but when I go to places like Chloride where people are working hard to preserve a quickly vanishing past, I always get a sense of wonderment, and my imagination shifts into overtime. I can picture the town of old, people filling the streets in their search for riches and prosperity. I can almost hear the racket from the saloons and smell the manure and mud that made up the streets. I have to admit the horses in a nearby corral didn’t hurt that effect. It was a different world then, though seemingly romantic, it was also hardship and often, death. The Apaches didn’t want settlers digging up their land and they retaliated. The mud and the manure created typhiod and scarlet fever. Tuberculosis was rampant. It was a harsh life. Only the hardy made it. Looking around Chloride, it is easy to see.
Writing and photography by Mikel B. Classen. Copyright by Mikel B. Classen 2020.
For more information on Mikel B. Classen, his writing or his photography, visit his website at www.mikelbclassen.com
