The No. 4, like all shafts of the Champion Mine, were serviced by two hoists during it’s lifetime. As the shafts became deeper, larger and more capable hoists were needed. The hoist building that currently stands at the No. 4 is in fact the original hoist, built around 1902. The newer hoist built to replace it now sits in ruin to the east. As the mine neared the end of its life, mine officials decided to return to using the original smaller hoist in order to save money. That decision managed to save it from destruction, making it the only one of the Champion’s original hoists still standing.

The main door to the hoist building. Like many hoist buildings built around the same time, the building was handsomely built from refined poor rock with sandstone and red brick accents. The cinder blocks to the left of the door are a more recent addition. I think they were used to fill a whole left when the original hoist was removed. The hoist currently in the building is a small electric model, originally installed down at the bottom of the No. 4 shaft to reach further underground. I’m assuming that moving the hoist into the building or removing the original hoist required a little more room the the large doors allowed. Or it could be for something else entirely.

The skip ropes from the hoist ran through this opening in the building up towards the pulley stands nearby on their way to the shaft house. The rope you see here is still doing just that, attached on this end to the hoist drum and on the other end to a man car still sitting on the skip road. For a period of time after the mine closed, the hoist continued to be used to transport workers down to pumping equipment installed inside the mine. The equipment was used to pump water from a natural spring in the mine to the surrounding communities.

When I first visited the site years ago the pulley stands were still standing, but in danger of falling. Now we see that they have in fact fallen over, this one held precariously up by the surrounding trees. I’m not sure why they finally came down, but it looks like one of the poles simply snapped in half. A century of time takes its toll.

A closer look at the pulleys in question. These were used to hold the skip ropes up and send them up towards the shaft’s head sheaves.

Another look at the hoist building, this time the treatment around one of the buildings windows.

A small doorway leading to the building’s basement. Based on the hoist ruins we are use to seeing, this doorway most likely lead to the maintenance corridors spread out around the foundation to the hoist itself. It looks like it might have been expanded, based on the out-of-place looking concrete patching.

One last look at the building, paying a closer look to the details. It always amazes me the amount of detail put into buildings designed for industrial uses. Nothing this ornate would be seen in a factory today I’m sure.

Moving on…