Jackson Mine
Encyclopedia
The Jackson Mine is an open pit iron
mine located northwest of intersection of Business Route M-28 and Cornish Town Road in Negaunee, Michigan
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1971. The Jackson Mine was the first iron mine in the Lake Superior
region, and as the Lake Superior Mining Institute put it, the mine "is attractive in the iron ore region of Michigan and the entire Lake Superior region, because of the fact it was here that the first discovery of iron ore was made, here the first mining was done, and from its ore the first iron was manufactured." Multiple other mines soon followed the Jackson's lead, establishing the foundation of the economy of the entire region.
tasked his deputy, William A. Burt, with leading a party into Michigan's Upper Peninsula to fully survey the land. On September 19, 1844, Burt noted odd compass fluctuations while surveying in the area of Teal Lake (near present-day Negaunee, Michigan
). He asked his men to investigate, and they discovered rock outcroppings that proved to contain iron ore, later known as the Marquette Iron Range
. Although local Native Americans
certainly knew of these ore deposits, Burt and Houghton noted then in their reports, and were the first to publish this discovery to the world at large.
In June, 1845, the Jackson Mining Company was organized in Jackson, Michigan
, with Abram V. Berry as president and Philo M. Everett as treasurer. The company was interested in starting a copper
mine in the Upper Peninsula; it secured a lease for that purpose and sent a prospecting party, led by Everett, to the Upper Peninsula. Arriving in Sault Ste Marie, they met French Canadian Louis Nolan, who knew of Burt's discovery the year before, which, though not secret, was not generally known. Everett expressed interest in the iron, and Nolan guided the party to the mouth of the Carp River
(the location of present-day Marquette
) and on to Teal Lake, but was unable to find the correct location. The party continued onward to Copper Harbor
, where they fell in with Chippewa chief Marji-Gesick, who was familiar with the Teal Lake area. Marji-Gesick guided the party to the spot where the Jackson Mine is now located, and showed Everett iron ore in the roots of a fallen tree. The stump of this tree was preserved for its historical importance until it burned in 1900, even so the tree was symbolically included in the seal of the city of Negaunee. Everett registered a claim to the site and had samples of the ore assayed; the ore proved to be of high quality, specifically hematite
with a small percentage of manganese
and chromium
, and the Jackson Mining Company switched its focus from copper to iron.
In 1846, the company sent an expedition to the site to further explore the area and obtain more ore to test. Forging the ore proved a success, and in the winter of 1846–1847, the Jackson Mining Company gathered equipment at the mine. In 1847, the company organized men and machinery and began taking ore out of the mine, and began constructing the Carp River Forge
, which was finished the next year. The first pieces of ore from the mine were forged at the Carp River and sold to construct a steamer.
. The purity of this ore shipment attracted attention, and General Joel B. Curtis, president of the Sharon Iron Company
of Sharon, Pennsylvania
, travelled to Michigan to inspect the mine. Liking what he saw, he purchased a controlling interest in the Jackson Iron Company, and for some years the Jackson location was known as the "Sharon."
With Curtis's guidance, the company began shipping more ore; in 1852, 70 tons were shipped to Sharon Iron. However, shipping ore was still problematic, and in 1857 the Jackson Mine began building a furnace on their property. The slow increase in mining and then furnace construction brought an influx of workers, and a town grew up around the mine and furnace site. In 1857, the town was incorporated as "Negaunee," coming from an Ojibwa
phrase meaning "I take the lead," or more loosely, "pioneer."
However, the Jackson Mine was indifferently run, with frequent changes in management, and for some years a "record of disappointments and financial embarassment." In 1861, the management stabilized, and with the greater demand for iron during the Civil War
, the Jackson Iron Company declared its first dividend in 1862. The Jackson Mine ramped up its production, peaking in the late 1860s and early 1870s, with 1871 the year of maximum production. The company established an iron furnace at Fayette
in 1867, and by 1875 had produced over 1.5 million tons of iron ore.
By the time it closed, the Jackson Mine contained several working pits, as well as trial shafts, a forge, cross-cuts and drifts; some of the underground workings were close to the surface. In the 1950s, the Jackson Mine and portions of the surrounding town of Negaunee were closed due to fears of collapse from undermining. Recognizing the historical significance of the Jackson as the area's first iron mine, the site was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The mine and area around it were acquired by the city of Negaunee in 2003 and the danger from undermining re-evaluated. In 2006, much of "West Old Town Negaunee" and areas around the mine itself were re-opened to the public, and developed a trail system through the area. The overgrown ruins of the early Jackson Mine pit mines can be seen from the trail system.
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
mine located northwest of intersection of Business Route M-28 and Cornish Town Road in Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,576 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township. The city is home to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum...
. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1971. The Jackson Mine was the first iron mine in the Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
region, and as the Lake Superior Mining Institute put it, the mine "is attractive in the iron ore region of Michigan and the entire Lake Superior region, because of the fact it was here that the first discovery of iron ore was made, here the first mining was done, and from its ore the first iron was manufactured." Multiple other mines soon followed the Jackson's lead, establishing the foundation of the economy of the entire region.
Origins of the Jackson Mine (1844–1847)
In 1844, government surveyor Douglass HoughtonDouglass Houghton
Douglass Houghton was an American geologist and physician, primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan.-Early life and education:...
tasked his deputy, William A. Burt, with leading a party into Michigan's Upper Peninsula to fully survey the land. On September 19, 1844, Burt noted odd compass fluctuations while surveying in the area of Teal Lake (near present-day Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee, Michigan
Negaunee is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,576 at the 2000 census. The city is located at the southwest corner of Negaunee Township. The city is home to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum...
). He asked his men to investigate, and they discovered rock outcroppings that proved to contain iron ore, later known as the Marquette Iron Range
Marquette Iron Range
The Marquette Iron Range is a deposit of iron ore located in Marquette County, Michigan, largely in and around the towns of Ishpeming and Negaunee. It is a smaller counterpart of Minnesota's Mesabi Range. The iron ore of the Marquette Range has been mined continuously from 1847 until the present...
. Although local Native Americans
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
certainly knew of these ore deposits, Burt and Houghton noted then in their reports, and were the first to publish this discovery to the world at large.
In June, 1845, the Jackson Mining Company was organized in Jackson, Michigan
Jackson, Michigan
Jackson is a city located along Interstate 94 in the south central area of the U.S. state of Michigan, about west of Ann Arbor and south of Lansing. It is the county seat of Jackson County. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534...
, with Abram V. Berry as president and Philo M. Everett as treasurer. The company was interested in starting a copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
mine in the Upper Peninsula; it secured a lease for that purpose and sent a prospecting party, led by Everett, to the Upper Peninsula. Arriving in Sault Ste Marie, they met French Canadian Louis Nolan, who knew of Burt's discovery the year before, which, though not secret, was not generally known. Everett expressed interest in the iron, and Nolan guided the party to the mouth of the Carp River
Carp River (Marquette County)
Carp River is a river in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The Carp River is formed by the outflow of Deer Lake in Ishpeming Township north of Ishpeming at in the Upper Peninsula....
(the location of present-day Marquette
Marquette, Michigan
Marquette is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Marquette County. The population was 21,355 at the 2010 census, making it the most populated city of the Upper Peninsula. Marquette is a major port on Lake Superior, primarily for shipping iron ore and is the home of Northern...
) and on to Teal Lake, but was unable to find the correct location. The party continued onward to Copper Harbor
Copper Harbor, Michigan
Copper Harbor is a small unincorporated community in northeastern Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is within Grant Township on the Keweenaw Peninsula that juts from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan into Lake Superior.-History:...
, where they fell in with Chippewa chief Marji-Gesick, who was familiar with the Teal Lake area. Marji-Gesick guided the party to the spot where the Jackson Mine is now located, and showed Everett iron ore in the roots of a fallen tree. The stump of this tree was preserved for its historical importance until it burned in 1900, even so the tree was symbolically included in the seal of the city of Negaunee. Everett registered a claim to the site and had samples of the ore assayed; the ore proved to be of high quality, specifically hematite
Hematite
Hematite, also spelled as haematite, is the mineral form of iron oxide , one of several iron oxides. Hematite crystallizes in the rhombohedral system, and it has the same crystal structure as ilmenite and corundum...
with a small percentage of manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
and chromium
Chromium
Chromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
, and the Jackson Mining Company switched its focus from copper to iron.
In 1846, the company sent an expedition to the site to further explore the area and obtain more ore to test. Forging the ore proved a success, and in the winter of 1846–1847, the Jackson Mining Company gathered equipment at the mine. In 1847, the company organized men and machinery and began taking ore out of the mine, and began constructing the Carp River Forge
Carp River Forge
The Carp River Forge is an abandoned forge located along the Carp River on the grounds of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum, at 73 Forge Road near Negaunee, Michigan. It was the first forge constructed in northern Michigan; the site was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and listed...
, which was finished the next year. The first pieces of ore from the mine were forged at the Carp River and sold to construct a steamer.
Rise of the Jackson Iron Company (1848–1870s)
In 1848, the Jackson Mining Company was re-incorporated with Fairchild Farrand as president; Berry and Everett and most of the rest of the original investors lost control of the company. In 1849, the company got a new president, Ezra Jones, and a new name: the Jackson Iron Company. In 1850, after numerous problems, the company gave up operation of their forge on the Carp River and leased the forge out. The company was in a precarious financial position, and ceased work for a time on both their forge and mining operations. However, production at the mine soon resumed, although company operations at the forge did not. Jackson began utilising the Marquette forge; however, they did ship some iron ore directly: the first shipment of five tons went to New Castle, PennsylvaniaNew Castle, Pennsylvania
New Castle is a city in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Pittsburgh and near the Pennsylvania-Ohio border just east of Youngstown, Ohio; in 1910, the total population was 36,280; in 1920, 44,938; and in 1940, 47,638. The population has fallen to 26,309 according to the...
. The purity of this ore shipment attracted attention, and General Joel B. Curtis, president of the Sharon Iron Company
Sharon Steel Corporation
The Sharon Steel Corporation was once a steel plant, and is notable due to its contribution toward the growth of the iron and steel industry in the Shenango River Valley, Mercer County, Pennsylvania....
of Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon, Pennsylvania
Sharon is a city in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, in the United States, northwest of Pittsburgh. It is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
, travelled to Michigan to inspect the mine. Liking what he saw, he purchased a controlling interest in the Jackson Iron Company, and for some years the Jackson location was known as the "Sharon."
With Curtis's guidance, the company began shipping more ore; in 1852, 70 tons were shipped to Sharon Iron. However, shipping ore was still problematic, and in 1857 the Jackson Mine began building a furnace on their property. The slow increase in mining and then furnace construction brought an influx of workers, and a town grew up around the mine and furnace site. In 1857, the town was incorporated as "Negaunee," coming from an Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
phrase meaning "I take the lead," or more loosely, "pioneer."
However, the Jackson Mine was indifferently run, with frequent changes in management, and for some years a "record of disappointments and financial embarassment." In 1861, the management stabilized, and with the greater demand for iron during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the Jackson Iron Company declared its first dividend in 1862. The Jackson Mine ramped up its production, peaking in the late 1860s and early 1870s, with 1871 the year of maximum production. The company established an iron furnace at Fayette
Fayette Historic State Park
Fayette Historic State Park is a state park and historic townsite near Fayette in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located on the Big Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan on the southern side of the Upper Peninsula, it was the site of an industrial community that manufactured charcoal pig iron between 1867 and...
in 1867, and by 1875 had produced over 1.5 million tons of iron ore.
| Mine Images, c. 1900 |
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Decline and Closure (1870s – present)
After the 1870s, ore prices declined. Even so, by 1900, Jackson Mine had produced over 3.6 million tons of iron ore. However, the Jackson Iron Company was suffering financially, with meagre profits due to the declining prices and the irregularity of its own deposits. In fact, in 1904 the Jackson Mine produced no ore. The mine got a reprieve in 1905, when the Jackson Iron Company was purchased by the Cleveland-Cliffs Company. However, mine yields were still weak, and the Jackson produced no ore in 1908 and 1916. The Jackson Mine closed permanently in 1924, having produced over 4 million tons of ore since its inception in 1856.By the time it closed, the Jackson Mine contained several working pits, as well as trial shafts, a forge, cross-cuts and drifts; some of the underground workings were close to the surface. In the 1950s, the Jackson Mine and portions of the surrounding town of Negaunee were closed due to fears of collapse from undermining. Recognizing the historical significance of the Jackson as the area's first iron mine, the site was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1956 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.
The mine and area around it were acquired by the city of Negaunee in 2003 and the danger from undermining re-evaluated. In 2006, much of "West Old Town Negaunee" and areas around the mine itself were re-opened to the public, and developed a trail system through the area. The overgrown ruins of the early Jackson Mine pit mines can be seen from the trail system.
| Mine Images |
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External links
- Jackson Mine/West old Town trail map from the city of Negaunee