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Poor rock piles also serve another important purpose. They help in figuring out what shaft you are currently exploring. Mines were worked from a number of shafts – deep holes from which the underground was accessed. There were always numbered, usually in a sequential manner. Mines opened a first shaft – known as Shaft #1 – and then opened sequential shafts further down the lode as needed. (#2, #3, etc). The shafts were always in line along the lode, and were numbered either north to south or south to north. And which each shaft, there was a corresponding poor rock pile.

Through our explorations in the Copper Country, we have noticed various trends in mining technology, infrastructure, and building techniques. We have also noticed how these trends evolve over the years, shaping the ruins we find on our travels. The Gratiot Hoist Building is the apogee of hoist building design, and it’s lineage can be traced back to the earliest mine ruins we have discovered. Following this line says interesting things about mine technology and construction techniques over the years.

Getting the copper out from the underground is only the first step in the copper production process. The copper that leaves the mine is encased in a tomb of igneous rock, which needs to be removed. This process is carried out at the stamp mill. Copper rock removed from mines was shipped to numerous stamp mills scattered across the Keweenaw. Each mine would have it’s own stamp mill, such as the Mohawk Mill at Gay.

Our explorations across the Keweenaw uncover a great deal of mining history. From abandoned rail lines, towering smokestacks, to crumbling hoist building foundations – we have seen evidence of this area’s rich history. While the stories that these ruins tell are an essential part of our shared history, there is often an important story left untold. This is the story of the men who worked within these ruins, the human aspect of this lost empire.

If there is one thing of certainty in our explorations across the Copper Country, it is the fact that no matter where we go or how deep into the woods we venture, we will always find trash. In fact no exploration of a ruin is considered completed until we find a washing machine. The sad truth is, we are never disappointed.

As some of you have no doubt noticed, Explorer is boasting a new look. As the new year dawns in the Copper Country, I thought it would be fitting to give Explorer a makeover to match. It’s still a work in progress, but by the end of the week the final touches should be wrapped [...]

Just a mile or so east of Owl Creek and the Copper Falls Mine flows another mountain stream meandering off the peaks above Eagle Harbor towards the big lake. This is Eliza Creek, and it flows down through the Madison Gap that separates Copper Falls Ridge from the peaks further east. Along the way it runs past some early mine sites before being damed at Eliza Pond. Between its banks are not only crystal clear waters but also artifacts from a time gone by

When we first found these ruins just south of Mohawk (including the impressive hoist building featured yesterday), we weren’t sure what mine we had found. Being so close to Mohawk, our first thought was that it was part of the Mohawk mine. But there are two mines in the vicinity of Mohawk, the other being the Ahmeek Mine. Looking at a map of the area, we discovered that these ruins were in fact right smack dab in the middle of both the Mohawk and Ahmeek mines. These ruins could be part of the Mohawk, or the Ahmeek Mine. Figuring out which one it was, required a little investigation.

Copper mining existed along the Keweenaw for almost 150 years (roughly between 1850 and 1995) During this time the technology, architecture, equipment, and environment changed significantly. The remains of the Mohawk #1 and its brothers represent the 2nd generation of Copper Mines on the Keweenaw. It was born from everything learned and lost by copper mines before it, and passed on that heritage to those mines that followed.

The dangers that a spring thaw once meant for the Redridge dam included the possibility of a dangerous over-topping. The water level in the reservoir would get so high as to flow over the top of the superstructure itself, spilling down onto the dam’s foundation and threatening to wash away the entire structure. When this same scenario happened in the 60’s, the owners of the dam cut large holes into it in order to keep this from happening again. In the process however, they managed to make the situation just as bad.