The discovery of copper in
Keweenaw County caused the creation of communities willing to accept
the challenges and dangerous conditions of copper mining. Copper
changed the face of Keweenaw County and served as a catalyst to
economic success until its collapse in the last century.
Copper mining has been done for
centuries. The Native Americans mined the copper to make tools and
jewelry. According to Wikipedia, “In
most years from 1850 through 1881, Michigan produced more than
three-quarters of the nation's copper, and in 1869 produced more than
95% of the country's copper.“
Eventually, the mines became
unproductive and it wasn’t cost efficient to continue. Mining
operations cease, the population declines, and a town dies … and
that, my friends, is how a ghost town is born.
Obviously, copper and the
communities surrounding the mines play an important role in
Keweenaw’s history. These remnants of the past are here for us
today ,,, it’s time to find some of Keweenaw County’s ghost
towns.
Going to the Keweenaw
Peninsula is a bit of a drive for us. So, we don’t get up there as
often as we would like. When we do visit, we get out our “things
to see and do” list. This trip, ghost towns dominate the list.
We drive to the Central Mine
Historic District. It is a Keweenaw Heritage Site. It was
designated a Michigan Historic Site on November 11, 1973 and placed
on the National Register of Historic Places on June 28, 1974.
Visitor Center
In
1996, the Keweenaw County Historical Society acquired about 38 acres
of the old Central site. They have restored several buildings the
public can visit. One of them is the
Visitor Center located on Center Road just north of US-41 about 5
miles northeast of Phoenix, Inside are exhibits about the mine and
village. FYI … the site is open year round but the buildings are
open seasonally from mid-June to early October. We are here in
mid-October so the Visitor Center is closed. But I have some
information from the Internet that will help us explore the town.
According to Wikipedia, “The
Central Mine Historic District covers the remains of the nearly
abandoned mining town of Central. The town had a post office,
three-story school, and one of the first telephone services in Copper
Country. The Historic District includes around 20 frame structures
from an original 130, as well as scattered ruins. The Central Mining
Company was organized in 1854 for the purpose of mining copper in the
Keweenaw. In 1898 the mine ceased operation, and residents began
leaving the town.”
Across the road from the Visitor
Center is the Central Memorial Garden. It is a small plot of land
that offers a nice place o sit for a few minutes.
Adjacent
to the garden is the Miner’s Residence - an example of the housing
found in the town. This is one of the buildings that is open to the
public.
A short distance down Center Road
is the Old Stage Road. We turn right and drive the good dirt road
to see a few of the remains of this old mining town. They include the
Post/Pay Office (1879), Engine House No. 2 (1875-1898), and the Site
of Shaft No. 2 (1855-1898), On April 22, 1872, a cable-break
accident took place here killing ten people.
Engine House No. 2
Site of Shaft No. 2
We return to the intersection
with Center Road and cross to the other side of Old Stage Road. I
can see the dirt road curves to the left. Beyond the curve is the
restored Central Mine Methodist Church (opened 1869). It was
designated a Michigan Historic Site on July 17, 1970 and placed on
the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1970.
Central Mine Methodist Church
Next to the church is another
house.
Across the road House No. 25 sits
atop a hill overlooking the valley filled with colorful trees.
We drive a short spur road to access the driveway to "House No.
25". This is the other house that is open to the public.
Road to House No. 25
House No. 25
We don’t have the time to hike
any of the short trails because we have so much more we want to see.
This will go on our “next time" list.
Just off U.S. Highway 41 (12 miles south of Copper Harbor) is the Delaware Mine (7804 Delaware Rd, Mohawk). We turn on the gravel road and follow the signs to the Delaware Mine where the Founding Fathers failed to find their fortunes.
According to Wikipedia, “The
Delaware Copper Mine provides tours of one of the oldest copper mines
in the Keweenaw dating back to 1846. The mine had five shafts, with
the deepest reaching 1,400 feet. It operated from 1847 until 1887.”
According to the Keweenaw Heritage Site website, “The
mine was supported by a group of investors, including Horace Greeley.
Although the mine didn't make any money for its investors, it now
serves as the perfect example of what the mines in this area were
like in the 1800's. “
The Delaware Mine office is open. Inside is a small gift shop and a model train that runs on the railroad tracks through a tunnel and around a model village. After we watch the eight minute video, we purchase two tickets ($11 per adult) for a 40 minute self-guided underground tour of the mine to see how the mining was done.
We put on our jackets and hard
hats (my hubby has his under his hood otherwise it wouldn’t stay on
his head). We descend 105 wooden steps into the mine (about 100 feet
below the surface). White exhibit signs (like the one in the
picture) are placed throughout the tunnel explaining the mining
process. The tunnel is 1,700 feet in length. The dirt surface can
be a little rough so watch your step … and your head!
Descending down into the mine tunnel
Old Railroad Tracks
Above ground is a short loop
walking trail that goes past the ruins of the original pump house and
hoist house from the 1870s. There is also some mining equipment and
a collection of antique engines on display.
Building Ruins
Back
on US-41, we drive through what little remains of the town of
Delaware.
Few Remaining Buildings in Delaware
We spent the night at the Sand
Hills Lighthouse Inn (6029
5 Mile Point Rd, Allouez),
After we leave the Lighthouse, we
stop at the Evergreen Cemetery (established 1843) located on M-26
near Phoenix. We find some old tombstones identifying those who were
killed in a mining accidents.
Evergreen Cemetery Entrance
Killed at Cliff Mine
Not to far from Evergreen
Cemetery was the mining town of Cliff (just off US-41 on Cliff
Drive).
Sign about History of Cliff Mine
Driving on Cliff Road, we see a sign indicating we need to turn onto a sandy road to find the Cliff Cemetery. Unfortunately, the Eagle River has flooded across the road making it impossible to drive there. I look across the watery obstacle and notice the road on the opposite side is a steep curving sandy hill. Certainly not something our two-wheel drive car could negotiate. Had the river not flooded the road, we could have walked but now we need another route if we are going to see the cemetery.
Flooded Road
A little farther down Cliff Road,
we see an opening in the fence. It's a trail. Since we want to do
some hiking, we grab our walking sticks and
cameras and go in search of this hidden cemetery.
A short wooden footbridge allows us to get over the river at a narrow point without getting our feet wet. The trail begins to traverse over a large expanse of gray stones and into the woods. Once we reach the tree line, we follow a narrow path along the ridge hoping to find the cemetery. The forest trail is unmarked and not maintained. Along the way, we see some moss-covered stone foundations and partial walls from a couple of buildings. A perfect example of “Life After People”.
Moss-covered Stone Foundations
We weren't sure how far we might
have to walk before we reach the cemetery. Fortunately, someone used
a large boulder and put a wooden sign on it saying
"cemetery".
We walk over the collapsed
section of old metal fencing and begin wandering through the forest looking for headstones. My hubby
finally spots a few (total of 7). This cemetery is forgotten,
forlorn, and fading fast into oblivion. We walk across the forest
floor littered with dried leaves looking for tombstones.
We keep looking and find several more tombstones including three wooden ones leaning against an old wood fence. The lettering on these tombstones were difficult to read but a really cool find.
Wooden Grave Markers
We manage to retrace our steps
back to the car without too much trouble.
Next, we head toward US-41 where the town of Phoenix is located. Phoenix was settled in 1849 around the Phoenix Copper Company (mine). Once upon a time, there were churches, a schoolhouse, post office, saloons, wagon makers, blacksmith shops, grocery stores and hotels here. Today, little remains except the seasonal country store, the Phoenix Church, and the Evergreen Cemetery on M-26.
Phoenix Country Store
The Phoenix Church (aka Church of
the Assumption) is an historic Carpenter Gothic style Roman Catholic
church. In addition to being a Keweenaw Heritage Site, it was
placed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 15, 2000.
Phoenix Church
The Bammert
Blacksmith Shop (built
in the 1880’s)
was originally located
at the Cliff Mine. Around
1906,
it
was
moved to Phoenix
(on
M-26 just
north of
US-41).
It
is a Keweenaw Heritage Site and now serves as a museum
Blacksmith Shop/Museum
The Gay School was a six room,
two story building.. It served students from grades one through ten
from 1927-1961. It is a Keweenaw Heritage Site.
Historic School in Gay
After a late lunch/early dinner
at the Gay Bar, we stop to see the remains of the old stamp mill
(built in 1921 by the Mohawk & Wolverine Mining Companies). The
stamp mill’s 265’ tall stack was 13 feet 4 inches wide at the
bottom, tapering to 9 feet at the top. Dominating the landscape, this single stack is an iconic landmark that represents Gay's historic past. By 1932, the stamp mills closed. In 1922, Gay had 1,500
residents. Today, the town of Gay has a population of less than 100.
265' Tall Stack
We wander around the ruins
photographing the remnants of the partial walls and foundations of
the complex. A series of cement levels goes down the hillside.
Watch where you are walking because there a holes in the cement.
Tripping or falling is a potential hazard when visiting here.
Stamp Mill Ruins
The
ghost town of Mandan is located right off US-41 about 7.4
miles south of Copper Harbor. The Mandan Mine and the Medora Mine
were organized in 1864 working off-and-on until 1909 when they were
abandoned. At one time,
Mandan had a population of 300 and a post office.
We turned onto a dirt road where we found foundation ruins and five
buildings. I was a bit disappointed to notice the existing buildings
are being renovated with new windows, doors and roofs. I
was expecting a true ghost town appearance.
I will add
more Keweenaw County Ghost Towns
to this blog post the next
time we visit here. In
the meantime, if you are
interested in other Michigan ghost towns, I invite you to view more
of my blog posts by clicking on the following links:
(Ghost Towns of Aral, Glen Haven, and North Unity)
(Ghost Town of Alcona)
(Nonesuch & Union Mines)
Keweenaw Heritage Sites
(Central Mine)
Old Victoria - An Old Mining Town Finds A New Life
Keweenaw Heritage Sites
(Central Mine)
Old Victoria - An Old Mining Town Finds A New Life
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking the time to comment on my travel blog. I review comments on a regular basis and appreciate any feedback offered.