• Friday-What'sUP May 4 - 09:14 pm

Thanks to Bruce Watters, we're going on a mini-tour of the Jackson Mine in Negaunee. This was the First Open Pit Mine in the Lake Superior Region. According to the placards pictured here, it was started as a mountain of ore 150 feet high, which the miners chipped away at with a bar and pick to get the ore from the surface. They later hand drilled holes and inserted explosives as a means of getting the ore. The scene recreated in the top photo, is 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, which the sign says, was often just a boy. Mining with no machines and just using manpower was definitely a back-breaking job in those days. Nice to see that some of the history is being preserved there in the form of a park to visit where you can read up on the history and still see a mine tunnel, along with a water filled pit where ore was mined.

The U.P. is rich in mining history and we're lucky to have it brought right to us on the Pasty Cam pages. Thanks for sharing, Bruce!

Love that first picture, lol!!

Great to see the mining heritage of the UP being preserved, although I must admit, those double-jackers look a bit rusty.....

Where exactly is this park located?? I'd love to get a few photos for a project I'm currently working on.

Those rusty miners might want to get some medical advice from the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. He had a similar problem.

Ouch! when those sledge hammers miss the drill.

The big fella on the right with the hoisted hammer, looks like he got somebody else's legs. Kinda short for someone his size.

Chocolate miners from Chocolay?

Capt. Paul - take M-28 between Ishpeming and Negaunee, and turn north on Michigan Street in Negaunee (just east of the road into Suicide Hill). Follow this road to the Iron Ore Heritage Trail which has many interesting views of old pits and equipment (http://www.ironoreheritage.com/final/index.php).

Thanks for posting that site for the Capt., Bruce, it's very interesting. And now I get the meaning of Alex's post.

Very intresting pictures!

Whoops! Very INTERESTING pictures!

Awesome; thanks Bruce!!
This will definitely have to be a stop on my next trip to the UP...