“The scope of the Quincy Mine operation is quickly illustrated by the continued expansion the Quincy Mill undertook at the end of the 19th century. At first Quincy built one mill here at the banks of Torch Lake complete with 5 stamping heads. Less then a decade later it built a second mill next door with three more stamp heads. Together, these two mills were capable of stamping over a million tons of rock per year, and producing over 25 million pounds of copper. But even that wasn’t enough. Due to the increased demand of copper during the first world war it became necessary to further expand the mills capacities with the construction of large additions to both buildings. At Quincy Mill No. 1, it is this concrete and brick filled structure that you see as you drive down M26. While the rest of the wooden mill quickly deteriorated over the decades since the mines closure – this more robust addition has managed to survive.”