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Iron Ore Discveilr c* A1873 and tIio huge tim-ruthlessly. SuppLesD tl.1 a Methodist min-At Waucedah InBy BUCK ERICKSON Kighty-iour years ago—im ‘iter Jonn Wlikes Booth ass ♦ted President Abraham lancolt —the Dickinson county site »ccupied by the slumberingof Waucedah, became the -o Menominee range, i m ( ichoft lields oi ore in Am .istory.Prior to 1866, the Me niange—Dickinson, Iron and f nee counties—was wild ana explored stand ol giant timbei ..abited only by roving bands Jhippewa Indians.The present site of Wauce • nen a part of Mnr t lt;a vvas identified only as the no west quarter of section 22, 1 ship 32, range 28.In 1866, the Breen broth Thomas and Bartley, timbei t iers and inspectors from Men inee, discovered an outcrt pj of iron ore near the pic muof the Waucedah railroad stutit was the lirst discoveryMenominee range. Frcvioufirst knowledge of ore in tin I* per Peninsula was recorded 1844 in Marquette county.The Waucedah disecvery fc came known as Breen's mine later a township was named a*;the discoverers However, iurthdevelopment. other than cxj lor tion, a the Breen had to wa piacth 1 y. until the C' ming the ra md.!TI. U J.analysisv e a iWill 4 HuM, 5 ale ,is* s 1 1 '* V 4the Miiw( 4icolntHul. t, who 1., ♦JWiU1 i V» v •1 ess^ « i 1 ? A 4 1./ A %* on a 1 e x i4 % 4 'town (J\ 101iomi.ilee i% •2 wav 1 *will/*i i e o \ 4. A T1 V * * - L V M V AA4 1a i »me111 J)(jsit in li11t leanmil is 1 % i .n1 i v * 1 VJ 4 4Mill 11 111_ 4 • ^ I ^ 1 W / 1 r ' d \ g \ 1• W . v.* iv Ji• %i i * i e cResults c tLDrnP.i 4 VI aI t.LI• • •S. A i 4fti •1 ) . A^ 4ill *1 \ 4 4 4*II ^ 1tA Clitf N* V \ C ilcunc Ab j brou.I share! ness.* •utt« •1 ^ I V 4 a 4 *!Ri.v: 2 nomi nee by tea m.were required for thethat time Whitehead his wife and familv to lortunes in the wilder-ang Mrs. Whitehead andsettled at thewhoth* cl tire Sturgeon, the two eor white women of the Me-*vt. 4Xiummer of 1873 was spent • g other sections of the A wagon route was ;ind built to Felch me w known as Metropolitan.1 1 i\ 4ct n ? \\it ect elrced the Iron road and 's cost the Milwaukee . nv 81,200.Panic Stopped DevelopmentA11 o 7 Q t I . ' c ♦i i* i I 1 u . S ImactcnNew l amp I Ntahtishedtcla\ , 1 1 M —iviUUIln -4 41€ t 4• i i 1 kx1V1ill1 « f |; ■ Jr A.* ciit* at a hill called “Ironbio found only banded ore,nation ol jasper and iron orecis like a sandwich. In theone priest is ter.m contrast, other towns increased m population by tne thousands over tne same pt riod.Landmarks Still VisibleDunng the 14 year loiiowing the discovery ot ore at Waucedah I thriving mining operations mush-; roomed throughout tire range. In j 1890 there were 32 mines in the j range shipping more than two and j one-half million tons. jToday, Waucedah has two [ water-filled pits as “souvenirs*’ otits early mining days. The largest pit. a short distance off highway US-2, represents what R left of the Breen, where ore was discovered in 1866. Water in the pit is reputed to bo 150 feet deep. Jut-'ii.g out of the water are two heavy timbers marking the shaft• c *opening of the old mine.Still attached to one of the timbers is a twisted and rusty piece of track on which ore was\\liine ^ ear, it was reported, John! hoisted from the 84-vear-old land-17u. t9 iilla twasatein-3 party oi %e x ] ? i cT i '2Ic I ff lil ll #4 ft 4 « V__/ f 1 I (Vhiteheadhiredf(4 Viozen men ti \ i v£j\ ( ^ p rn i ] i p f'A » ’ ^ l * V4 4 4 V V.C I A L 4v / v.' r\them byu n rlcr \!v i\illi \iutl» »K» •* * 44 * l it'nverthe VinNegaiat thec-found1VI iat d laer20 me■ *V A Iits of 1L* * ijasper*« «* ?On4Ul^ n rk r■ i 4 U 1 1 » vt* i IVCl* •I*S **/ \inc.knvn» /1 ii • 40\« I(i (114 4.iuitel or:* • •Breen on3 camp .“tc\ imfinPlv. v * * yj wa iTest-;-it:T 1cu;Oct.1ci a treethe vuir V. I • V V *A.First ictive mining opt were recorded in 1870, mar ov. rship of the properties came into he hands of tin udge L. 3. In axton, jn muon of camrcalled Breit)]v road #A\Mmdiscovci e2 i i vII?LI is t. 23. Theyrt a- iv prepared• i *to accommodaterevealed depos-lte and exposedmixed.72, Whitehf adar the presentiepot and began tor 40 men. itndLANSING— r,— Michu ;an con- j Hreen j vict labor is credited with saving ■ in Waucedah was started | jn ono summer’s work timber!C4V k 1 414111a n dP.» Ai u a t:th(sw4 44 'BretInentMenomineelater beame the New Ylt; « ^ lt;1 •rk i at-pitswore sunk• rr? V*h| ; i V 4 ^ i• ♦ A* 1 T /■» J Cnteneao. to nivs u r p t4nd two long trenches across the formation. Meanwhile, news ofweren• .i itilexjU!1discovery spread ana t ame over-run with arties—much like the lunt in the Upper Peninn \r11 u 1st Led Way Every* pine cruiser belt; mineral expert—in h.s ov although one in twertv c- a r- t ell ordinary rock from iron ere.A sample of the Bieeii ore reached Ha:. . . I • . m ' . ' ’ 'over nor of Wisconsin, who per-'onallv brought it to Milwaukee4 | «( (iRiw:T i i . . 4T1 1crateLu• rdoing some explor- 1 which later became I News.Quinnesec. iy active mining got j the Breen or other ilt; s. the memorable li- : panic of 1873 struck like j ol lightning and further r t r.t was left at a stand- j j till until 1876.Actual mining at themine i__id 1877. The mine, under CaptainJerome Schwartz, who afterwards became a leading citizen of Cry Mai Falls, shipped 25 carloads oi oie. In 1878, the Breen was closed down and vacated.Some years later, a new .haft wa sunk 30 rods from the Breen and some blue Bessemer ore wasraised.Town Never MaturedHowever. the Breen mine, v I ich Intlt; r resulted in the es-t; blishmc?it ot the town of Wnu-ee ah. was shlt; rt-lived as a min-mark.— From IronMountainConvict Labor Saves Michigan Timber ToBe Worth $2,867,100» iIA MIt 'V v» *wI \I w o Pioneer Womenline ^ i mindC?An 11iiiiI illO:newvercTlV1depositm i n ebluethe Ifterwietci• \t.' 4. 4•rc1 , 1 (H U . LJreiti() f J) f% Y H ? ft ^ 1 4 * 4 4 A 4:ar.tv, biacksn• *nd a tenbyf T• •Ol1ninetW€The Im\e-unnliedthe partv v.'ith plenty oling center. I-lv 1890, onlv n hand-•4 t,ful of miners were employed;thereThe api^arent richness of ore on !more western points on the range1 n i ei ferrod with the righteous development oi Waucedah as the gatewav to the new Mcr.ornineeVrange.Waucedah failed to mature. Its chief claim rested in possession of timber limits and farms. In 1890, Waucedah had a population of 150, a post office in charge of S. P. | Saxton, pioneer prospector, andwhich will some day be worth $2,- i867,100 ‘ jThe figure is the maturity value j of the 9,587 white pine trees grow- 1 mg on 19,022 acres which were treated to prevent white pineblister rust. |(t. R. Allison, of the bureau ct entomology and plant quarantine of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, who was in charge oi the iproject, reported that “die pris- ! oners learned the work readily j and their attitude toward the j work and their cooperation with \ the supervisors was highly commendable.”Corrections commissioner Earnest L. Brooks said that a total of j 17 prisoners were used on the j project They worked under fed- j eral and state agents. During the work on Northern Michigan pine j stands, the crews were housed at the Tahquamenon prison camp, the Marquette honor camp and the wilderness camp.venison. A small sawmill was built : was visited at intervals by a Cath-Classlficd Acfs cost little but do abig job.
Newspaper Details
Escanaba Daily Press
Escanaba, Michigan, US
Tue, Nov 07, 1950
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Jean H.
IL, USA 20 Apr 2019
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