The Baltic Mine first begun its life around 1897, spending two decades as an independent mine before being absorbed by Copper Range in 1917. During that time the mine was served by a branch of the Atlantic and Lake Superior Railroad, which transported the mine’s rock to the nearby Atlantic Mill for processing. (The Baltic Mill would not be completed until 1901). In 1900 the Copper Range Railroad would lay its own tracks nearby, part of the railroads 5-mile Painesdale Branch which connected the Champion Mine to the CR mainline. Soon after the Copper Range would send its own spur line out to the Baltic Mine, taking over haulage duties from the A&LS RR. It was along this spur line that we would stumble across today’s mystery ruins.

It was these large concrete monoliths that first caught our attention within the foliage – standing upright along a line. Getting closer we noticed that there the pillars were laid out along two parallel lines, three pillars to a line. They obviously were used to hold up some type of attached structure, but the only things along a rail line that I could think of would be a water tank. According to Kevin Musser’s Copper Range RR Structure List there were no water tanks at this location, but to be fair his list is from 1916 – a year before Copper Range took control of Baltic.

Here’s a closer look at one of the pillars. You can clearly make out the levels of concrete used in the construction process. Interestingly it appears as if this one was either added to or repaired at some date (look at the two different colors of concrete). One of these pillars had fallen down, but the other five remained.

Sitting a dozen or so feet nearby was another foundation, this one apparently to a building of some type. It was roughly square in shape, with its foundation walls sitting only about three feet in height. It was laid out in line with the pillars.

The north-facing wall was pure concrete, and we could make out a series of bolts protruding out of its top. (the bolts were hammered down flat for some reason). This would suggest to me that a wood structure sat atop of this. However, moving around to the east wall something interesting happens – the wall’s composition changes.

This wall is made from poor rock – and very hastily laid poor rock at that. (click on image for a larger view) There was no mortar in the joints, and it was capped by a short ridge of concrete similar to the north wall. This was very odd to me, considering this style of construction was at odds to the more modern concrete style found to the north. It was almost as if the building was built across two different time periods, the concrete being some type of addition or repair to the original building.

Moving to the south wall encounter another odd change in construction. Here we have a concrete / rock hybrid which uses the poor rock base on one side but also a concrete wall on the other. Here you can see the concrete side of the wall, but you can also make out the poor rock portion in the lower left. This wall is half the length of the north, creating an opening in the foundations south-west corner. Perhaps this was a door of some type, making this side of the building the front.

Even more interesting is this photo which I found at the archives. It shows the Baltic Mine at some unknown date, specifically the No. 3, 4, and 5 shafts. it also appears to show our mystery ruin, sitting to the left and marked by the arrow. (there’s a guy standing up next to it, which helps illustrate its relative size). It sure looks like the ruin in question, and is more interesting apparently in ruin at the time this picture was taken, at least there’s no building attached to it. Hmmmm….

I’ll now open the floor for discussion….