By Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - 04:36 am:
Today we join Laurie Bashaw for an excursion on the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. This 47 mile trail crosses the Marquette Iron Range and is open for year round use, with interpretive trail signs and interesting mining history along the way. You can enjoy the trail on foot, on bikes, on skis, ORV’s and snowmobiles in the winter months.
Laurie’s photos give us a glimpse into the history of the Jackson Mine and how different mining was in the early days when men were doing the job without the modern machines. The bottom photo is a replica of what was called double-jacking, which is a method of hand drilling that required three men. Two men with sledge hammers to pound on the drill that was held by a third, the sign in the photo above this one says, the third person was often just a boy. Mining with no machines and just using manpower was definitely a back-breaking job in those days. It’s great to see that this history is being preserved here on the Heritage Trail.
Pure Michigan takes us on the trail with them, to learn even more about the Iron Ore Heritage Trail in the Marquette area.
By Alex - UP-Goldwinger (Alex) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - 06:41 am:
Interesting set! The places that we easily reach
by auto were a rugged trek way back when.
I recognized the Chocolay gang right away.
It always meant that I was getting close
to my destination on my way UP.
Thanks for the memories.
And I wish that I’d known about the
Iron Ore Heritage Trail when I was
healthy…I would have given it
a whirl.
Good stuff, indeed!
By Donna (Donna) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - 11:10 am:
Amen Alex....I wish I knew when I was healthy too!
This is really awesome!! How wonderful all the info
is...wow.
By Deb S. (Usedtobeayooper) on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 - 01:23 pm:
Lots of great information. It's
hard to believe how rough people
really had it back in those days.
I wonder if we realize how really
lucky we are now.
