I have no clue what the actual number of copper mines there were during the time when copper was king here in the Keweenaw. There are still a few shaft houses and remnants of the old mining buildings left around the area. One of the most recognizable is the Quiny Mine Shaft House on top of Quincy Hill. Barbara Bouwkamp stopped to snap a few photos recently with some interesting angles of the building and equipment around the grounds. If you haven’t taken a tour there, it’s well worth your time to do so. It gives you a glimpse of what kind of work our grandparents were involved in, when they immigrated to the U.S. to make a better life for themselves and their families.

Great Lakes Storm Chasers shares a video with us, a compliment to the photos for your Monday morning.

Nice pix and a somewhat haunting video...some
scenes look like the castle ruins.

It is rather haunting, I agree. How dangerous is
Quincy Mine and how do they keep young explorers
from getting into potential trouble?? Capt or
Charlie, any insight?

Because it is checked so often for the tours, Quincy is one of the safer mines on the Keweenaw to visit. All of the shaft openings have either been sealed or have locked cages to allow bats free access. Now, the areas of the underground workings that aren't regularly checked for loose rock..... yea, those are a little hairy in spots.