It was the Baltic Mine that started it all for the great Copper Range. While starting as an independent mine in 1897, the vast share of its stock was quickly gobbled up by the Copper Range Consolidated Company. In 1917 Copper Range took the rest, and the mine became the company’s flagship mine. The Baltic was the first to exploit the rich Baltic Lode (from which the mine was named) that started just southeast of South Range. The lode continued on for miles to the south-west, feeding the future Trimountain and Champion mines as well. Together with those later mines, the Baltic formed the backbone of the second largest mining company ever to exist on the Keweenaw.

Approaching the remains of the mine today (in the middle of winter no less) we find ourselves surrounded by more intact structures then we’re use to. Across the road the large machine shops still stood in all their sandstone glory while ahead of us a more contemporary structure greeted our eyes. The building sat along the edge of a short ridge, rising a good three stories in height. A series of windows lined both sides and a walk-out basement was evident on the rear.

Looking inside the back door we were greeted by nothing but a pile of old tires. There seemed to be no way to get to the levels above, blocked by a thick concrete ceiling. We walked up the ridge to take a look at what was most likely the front side of the building.

While from the back the building looked derelict, its front-side seemed to suggest a more recent use. The main door was intact, but looked to be a more recent addition. Besides the door, there was only one other opening – a small circular window at the buildings peak.

We weren’t sure what this building was for, but we knew when it was built: 1910. The building was built near the mine’s height of production shortly before Copper Range took over.

We almost missed it at first, but covered by a generous layer of snow was a loading dock attacked to the front end of the building. Its height was a good 2-3 feet off the ground and would mean that a railroad spur once ran up here alongside the building. That would make its purpose something akin to a storage building or warehouse. Perhaps an oil house? It seemed to somewhat resemble the oil house at the Champion – except being built from concrete. It was a possibility.

Turning around we came across this familiar ruin, which we recognized right away as a rock house foundation. Between the two concrete walls would run a rail spur on which rock cars were loaded up with copper rock from the mine. This shaft is the #3, the deepest at Baltic. Here the shaft dropped some 3,839 feet under the earth at a startling 73º angle.

As interesting as this was, we had seen ruins like it many times before. Sitting down hill from here, however, was one of the more interesting ruins we have yet found on our journeys. We bring you that, tomorrow…