In order to feed the mining hoists with steam, boilers required large amounts of fuel. Normally this would come in the form of coal, but for the Copper Country’s early years coal was a commodity that was hard to come by. For many years at the beginning of the copper mining boom in the Keweenaw, the area was relatively shut off from the rest of the civilized world. Over 300 miles of untamed wilderness devoid of rail lines or good roads separated it from the nearest industrial center. And even though the peninsula was surrounded by Lake Superior, the rapids at the Soo made it difficult for large boats to deliver any supplies, much less a constant supply of coal. The mines were on their own, and a alternate fuel source had to be found.

Lucky for the mines, what the area lacked in coal deposits it more then made up for in wood. Hundreds of acres of forest around mine sites were turned to stump fields as companies harvested any available fuel on their properties. Once this was used up they turned to buying far off tracts of land and clearing that as well. Soon most of the Keweenaw had been turned from lush forest to rolling stump fields – succumbing to the industrial hunger of the mines. Fuel became scarce, and with the opening of supply routes to the area (including the opening of the Soo locks in 1855) transportation costs begin to decrease. Mine companies moved to coal, brought in on trains and boats, to replace the dwindling wood supplies. By 1881 (the year work at North Kearsarge begin) most boilers on the peninsula were fed by coal. A new era had begun.

Coal supplies were brought to the mines by rail, and for North Kearsarge this was done through a spur off the nearby Mineral Range Railroad. (you can see this spur on the railroad map featured in “Name Game”) Similar to how copper rock is delivered to a stamp mill, these coal supplies were usually brought to the boiler house by means of an overhead trestle. The cars would then dump their loads by means of gravity onto free standing coal piles or framed bunkers. Above is the top of the approach to the trestle. The imbedded steal I-beams seen would have continued on out over the coal piles. (click here to see the big picture)

Another look at the approach. It is a very imposing structure, sitting a good 15 feet above our heads. While the majority of the structure is constructed with poor rock the corners have been strengthened with concrete. Behind this wall is the earth filled approach, level with the road sitting atop the hill.

Beyond the approach, the steel trestle was held up by a series of metal support pillars. These pillars sat atop concrete footings – such as the one shown here. These footings extend just past the hoist building, making the trestle a couple hundred feet in length.

A dozen or so feet away from the approach sits a concrete “floor” along the side of the hill bordered by a set of poor rock walls. The south wall is seen here. The floor sits behind the boiler house and rises up to meet a second retaining wall that runs along the side of the hill. This “floor” might have been used to store the coal, allowing gravity to naturally push it towards the back of the boiler house. It could also of been used to stabilize the steel hill that sits here.

Here is another footing used to support the overhead trestle. You can see the two rods in the middle of it, used to connect the steel support to the concrete. This footing sits in line with the border wall on the south side of the concrete “floor” – seen in the photo above.

A rare piece of the trestle, still intact sitting along the north wall of the concrete “floor”.

This is the close up of the upper retaining wall that runs from the trestle approach along the hill over the concrete “floor”. Check out the big picture to take a wider look. As seen in the panoramic, sitting above these wall sits a long wall of poor rock, part of another building. Too big to be the shaft house, we start the steep climb up to it to try to identify it.

next: support buildings