May
The Osceola Mine and the community that served it continued to grow up through the turn of the century. The mine expanded southward, opening two new shafts along the old Opechee Mine property. The town itself was expanded out as far as it could, stretching out until it sat right up against C&H property that surrounded it. But success in the Copper Country, no matter how constant, is fleeting. By 1890 C&H had discovered the Osceola Lode for themselves and had erected one of their shafthouses along the lode right up against Osceola – its shadow draping over the the worker housing of Osceola. Joining it was the shadow of another encroaching mine – the South Hecla No. 12 right to Osceola’s northwest. C&H was closing in around them and in 1909 took control of the mine and town.
The C&H take over not only signaled the end of an independent mine, but also would significantly alter the landscape of the surrounding community. This would most notably be observed in the re-alignment of the railroads that once served the mine and community – the Mineral Range.
All mines required railroads to deliver supplies and to transport the copper rock to the mills for processing. The Osceola Mine depended on the nearby Mineral Range for that service, taking rock from the mines and bringing it down to its mill on Torch Lake. The original Mineral Range line came up from Houghton (D) where it could either take a turn right towards Lake Linden (F) or turn left towards the mines and on towards Calumet (A). Branching off this line towards Calumet was a feeder line which ran along each of the Osceola shafts. Also along this line was the Osceola Depot, the last stop before the Calumet Depot some two miles further.
This set up served the mine for decades. But for some reason, the main line was re-aligned from its historic position to one a few hundred feet to the west. The new line ran up between Osceola No. 3 and No. 4, bypassing the town and subsequent depot entirely (B). In the process the new line ran right through an old collection of worker houses, the same houses we discussed in the first part of this series. As for the the old line it was completely abandoned. Near the South Hecla shaft a road replaced the rail line, while the remainder of the old line past the new “turn” was dug up and destroyed.
Why this was done isn’t completely clear. Moving a rail line – especially the main line – is a costly and time consuming affair. The answer might lie in events that transpired soon after C&H’s acquisition of the Osceola Mine. While Osceola was dependent on the Mineral Range for its transportation needs, C&H had the resources to build its own railway to serve that purpose. For years the company had used it’s Hecla and Torch Lake railroad to bring copper rock from its mines along Mine Street to it’s mill in Lake Linden. In 1923 it decided to expand the line to serve all it’s mines, and in turn cancelled all its contracts with other railroads – including the Mineral Range – to haul its product. It was a devastating blow.
C&H built a new spur off its Hecla and Torch lake which served its newly acquired Osceola property. This line is marked as (I) on the above map. This line hooked directly up with the existing feeder lines to the Osceola shafts, bypassing the Mineral Range completely. This new line was also used to cater to its #13 shaft next door (H). The purpose of this section of the Mineral Range line was now only to serve the depot at Osceola and nothing more. And with the coming of the Depression and the subsequent closing of the mine, the depot’s days were numbered as well. Something most likely had to be done.
This “something” must have been the abandonment and re-alignment of the line. This re-alignment would bypass the Osceola Mine and Depot completely, taking the train around the town instead of through it. It would preserve the connection to Calumet, but remove the ore haulage component of the line. But it still doesn’t make complete sense. Abandonment of some of the line yes, but re-alignment? That seems excessive. There must be other reasons. Reasons I unfortunately don’t have yet. Perhaps one of you out there has an idea – if so, pleas share. I’m sure the answer is out there somewhere…
Well I found the reason for that change of the rail line at Osceola, but it goes way back to 1897. First the map you have posted is slightly incorrect. The original Mineral Range built in 1872, instead of turning to the west went straight through with no connection to the Hancock & Calumet. The line was parallel to Church St, crossed US41 and run to the west of Union St, then crossed the Hecla and Torch Lake main and somewhere around Depot St between I think Osceola St and Calumet Sts was the Mineral Range depot. At that time this was collectively known as Calumet. The current Calumet didn’t happen until 1929. The Hancock and Calumet built around 1885 had its depot in Red Jacket close to where the current newer Mineral Range Depot is. When the H&C was built, the Mineral Range had to expand as it lost business to the H&C, mostly mine rock, one of the extensions was to the north of its Calumet depot, it built a line to the north in a half circle around the C&H mines to access Red Jacket and built another depot. The depots were only a 1/2 mile apart as the crow flies, but 1 1/2 miles by rail. http://digarch.lib.mtu.edu/showbib.aspx?bib_id=617056#
This photo has the Mineral Range Red Jacket depot in it, according to the story I read about this, the H&C depot is about 6 blocks farther on. Just guessing, this Mineral Range depot had to be around the current 4th Street in Calumet. Without buying the photo in a larger format it hard to get any idea of where this is at. Supposedly this was taken from the Calumet stack.
In 1886, MR took control of the H&C, same management running both railroads, but the railroads still ran as separate companies. In 1893, DSS&A took control of the MR and in 1897, it was decided to standard gauge the MR. The old line was abandoned north of the Hancock and Calumet at Osceola and a new line was built parallel to the Hancock & Calumet to the H&C station at Red Jacket. In 1901, the Hancock and Calumet was standard gauged. I have seen photos of the Calumet yard by Swedetown with dual gauge track.
Interesting analysis Gordy. I would appear that my use of post-1900 sources failed to bring to light the Mineral Range’s original configuration – my mistake. It was obviously naive to think that the pre 1900 configuration would of matched up with the post 1900 configuration, especially considering the volatile nature of the Keweenaw’s railroad business. But your observations prompted a few thoughts of my own.
There seems to be an interesting parallel between the MR’s first route into Red Jacket and a more contemporary route used by C&H. Post 1919 maps I have show a branch of the C&H RR running along Railroad / Laurium Street in Hecla Location, crossing over Depot Street around Hecla (non-Laurium) Street before heading out of the area near Stable Street. AFter the MR re-aligned its mainline to follow along the H&C it must of abandoned this old route, after which C&H bought it up and used it as their own. (similar to what C&H did down near the Ahmeek Mill)
This might also explain how the C&H RR obtained the right-of-way to access its newly acquired Osceola Properties. Perhaps this line (marked as G on my map) was also part of that original MR line. MR re-routed to the south and C&H took control of that old grade as well.
Your mention of a depot near 4th Street reminds me of a newspaper excerpt I read in the “Copper Country Metropolis” boo. The excerpt noted the recollections of an original Red Jacket native, who tells a story explaining why 4th street is so narrow. The man noted the current road was laid over an old rail line. Perhaps an early MR or H&C route?
It would appear that the original question I posed on this post was flawed due to the line I mark as “A” was NOT the MR line. “A” was in fact the original H&C line, which made its way up to its depot near Oak Street. I would guess that the “B” line was added by the Mineral Range when it re-routed its main line away from its original Hecla Location route (the route C&H RR later took over), to its more contemporary route along the H&C.
I think I just thoroughly confused myself. Looks like another post (with maps) is in order to clear it all up!
I have a January 1913 map of C&H’s mines and railroad in Calumet, strangely, it has the former Mineral Range track hooked to the Hecla & Torch Lake. Prior to these connections, the Mineral Range went straight across. This map must have had revisions done to it, but they aren’t listed. Funny, these maps are white on back, like old drawings, I have owned these for many years and just happened to notice, the mine numbers are written in with a pen, black on black. To bad the map ends at the Osceola property line. I have to rescan this map and stitch it together again. But I would say yes, this is how C&H accessed the Osceola property.
I am willing to guess that the 2nd Mineral Range depot was at 4th St and Elm St, possibly Oak, guess I will have to order an enlargment of that photo, try and pinpoint a building.
Also line “I” on your map, was the new C&H line to access the new Osceola Mines of the 1950′s and 60′s. I am sure all the old rail lines were long gone when C&H reopened those two mines.