• Thursday-What'sUP June 28 - 10:56 pm

No matter how you feel about this piece of mining history here in the Keweenaw, you have to admit, folks never tire of checking it out and snapping photos, like Chad Johnson, here today. Located in Mason, this building was used to "dredge" the bottom of Torch Lake, where the mine had been dumping the stamp sand from the copper removal process. They had found that there was still a good deal of copper in the stamp sand and by dredging it from the bottom, they could extract the copper by regrinding the stamp sand. Most of the photos we get of the dredge are from a distance, but with Chad's photos, he gives us a closer look at what remains of this piece of Copper Country history.

As a sidenote on the Dredge history ~ Back in 1953, on July 3rd, my Grandmother's brother, John LeVasseur, was tarring the roof of the dredge, when he fell about 60 feet, into the water and was thought to have drowned. Later it was found out that he had not drowned, but had been injured in the fall, which they believed to have caused his death. I'm not clear on which dredge this actually happened on, whether it was the sunken one in the water, or this one up on the shore now. So those buildings are forever connected to my family history, as well as the Copper County mining history.

It's history.

Great shots. Love the perspective. Thanks Chad!

My clicker clicked in advance with the slightest touch...I meant to continue, It's history I find interesting. Time standing still. Great pictures today!

I've seen a lot of pictures of the dredge, but none like these. Great shots!

Sorry, I vote "eye-sore"! Y'all UP there preserve funny things.;)

Mining was such a huge part of the history of the Keewenaw and the iron range of the UP. In fact it's legacy still affects the region and it's people. I think it is really important to preserve, respect, and understand our heritage. It is a big reason why we are who we are.

David, I can understand preserving things from the past, but wouldn't it be better to have it moved to a designated spot, instead of left sitting half out of the water like a poor beached whale?

Cool pics Chad and what a vivid blue sky!

Interesting story about your family, too...MB...
Mary says: Thanks, Donna...I thought it was, too. I was hesitant to share that here, so I'm glad you found it interesting.

The colors on the pictures are so vivid. It make me suspect that someone has punched them up a bit.

I am all for history. The dredge is sitting comfortably on the bottom of the lake. Right where Quincy Mining Co. left it.

Great photos Chad! They remind me of a spot north of Fairbanks, AK. They too have a dredge from the gold mining days that is sitting on the lake.

I guess I am a little bit confused. I am assuming from the narrative that it is Mary's grandfather and not Chad's.
Mary says: You are assuming correctly, Brenda. I wrote the notes, so yes, it's MY great uncle, actually, who fell to his death from the dredge. Hope this clears that up! :->

Shirley---You're right that dredge is sort of an eye-sore but then so is the Alamo. I sure there are some rusty things in Tenn. that have been preserved, too. And to go a bit further, we have a funny habit of letting stand old tomb stones. They are all just reminders of things and people we've found important in our lives. Some day the dredge will rust away but by then it won't be a reminder to anyone alive then. Every thing and everyone takes it place in the parade of life and finally marches out of sight.

Come now, Richard, surely one wouldn't compare a rusty dredge to the Alamo or tombstones.:)

I guess my concern would be pollution in the lake from rust, oil, etc. And also, did someone save some money by not having it dismantled and removed?

Thanks for sharing that very sad occurance which happened in your family with us, Mary. Including information involving real people and their families, adds another dimension to these photos. You're right about the remnants of the mining days being connected to the history of so many families, especially in the UP. That is another reason to preserve the mining artifacts, in my opinion.

There was a nice cover story article on the dredge in the May/June 2012 issue of Michigan History magazine.

Well, not going to be popular today....again, but I agree with Shirley. Here in Ontonagon we have a beautiful old courthouse that is ancient. It was considered a landmark by the Historical Society. Okay, a sign was placed stating such and the building is crumbling away, no plans in the future to restore it. If such great landmarks should be preserved, fix them up and make them look like they did 100 years ago. Make it a tourist destination, put a plaque on it with the history of the place.
Promote some more tourism here.

Richard I agree with you. We have very little left of our heratige here in Michigan. Unlike tenn that adores a mountain top where they lost a war. Let us keep somethings of our past. Like the Alamo, remember the dredge. I remember when the sirens went off and the dredge sank. Was a little boy then.

I always enjoy seeing pictures of the old dredge. While attend Tech back in the 50's I worked on this dredge in the summers. There were three dredges, one in Lake Linden [the one Mr. LeVasseur fell off], one in Tanarick that worked the Tamarack & Osceola sand banks, and the old Quincy one that sunk. When C & H completed reclaming the Calumet and the Hecla sand banks in Lake Linden they mover that dredge to Tamarack. The dredge that was in Tamarck was sold to Quincy. After the Old Quincy dredge sunk this one went into service. The old dredge that was in Lake Linden was scrapped out. A side note: Mrs LeVasseur was my english teach from 1948 to 1952. She was a very nice person, a good teacher but strict. I well remember the conversation in school when her husband died.

It's all about tourism now. Michigan needs the money.

The dredge was used until the Quincy reclamation plant shut down. They had recovered all the copper possible. I don't believe it sank until later. As far as someone saving money - who knows. Quincy Mining Company was in bad financial shape from the depression on. The reclamation plant was taken down fairly quickly, perhaps someone decided to save the last dredge still afloat as a memorial to the "second life" dredging the sands gave to the companies on Torch Lake. Preservation takes money. So does dismantling. The fact that it survived the depredations of the "Vultures" group who pillaged the mine, makes me think it either had a sponsor or was too costly to cut up. It also survived the Super Fund work. Raising it and a cosmetic restoration would be really nice but very expensive. Who would do it and pay for it? With today's regulations the cost of cutting it up may exceed the price of scrap. As far as pollution, rust is rust, iron oxide that occurs in nature. The oil and grease has probably long dispersed. So there it sits; its mate is on the bottom in the middle of the lake with just the roof above water. Lots of ghosts in and around Torch Lake.
So sorry about Mary's Great-uncle, we've come along way with industrial safety since then.

My thought is that too much of our copper mining history has
already been lost. The dredge isn't hurting anything by being
there so, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"! I wouldn't even want it
restored. It's neat just the way it is. It's always a good topic
of conversation and a history lesson for the kids.

But Mikie, Lookout Mt. isn't rusty.:)
Now as far as 'losing the war'?....won't go there.;)

Just a quick question for everyone out there, I
know on other forms I have seen people taking
roll call for events. So who out in pasty land is
going to pasty fest this weekend?

Wish I could, Steve. But I'm stuck here in MN for the weekend doing a parade for the bank I work for.

As far as the dredge, I don't like the looks of it at all either, and would love to see it restored to the way it was in its glory years, but that ain't gonna happen. My understanding is that when they moved it where it is right now, it polluted the lake again. So, now that that's taken care of, just leave it there. Anyway, that's my vote, but I do wish it could have been restored to the way it used to be.

Torch lake was poluted by the copper mills long ago. Mickey Gaffney used to say in a windy day the lake would turn red from the sand in the bottom. Also said there were lots of cable from the dredges that occaisionally would rise up from the bottom. That lake is around 200 feet deep towards Lake Linden. The mill in Tamarack would dump the tailings from the stamping operation into the lake. Yes Shirley the war was won by Mr. Lincoln and the north. The south wasn't as smart as some of the other countries that we beat. We won the wars, they won the peace.

Well said, Mikie!

I love the photos and I love the old dredge. I don't think it is an eyesore at all. It is like a part of the natural terrain now.

It is ashamed that some people, NOT ME, who feel the same way about our precious senior citizens. Just put them away somewhere, in a sense, get rid of them. The younger people do not understand the wealth of information our senior citizens have, like our history. I loved listening to my grandpa tell his stories of living in Calumet. Then I made a trip to Calumet with my grandpa and he told me stories and took me places that I would have never known about growing up in Detroit.

Just because 'the dredge' might be an eyesore to some, it is a part of someones history, too.

mickill. it is not always as you put get rid of the elderly. Medical issues that are too much for a family member to handle. It is not an easy decision to put a elderly or any family member in a nursing home situation! I have been there done that! It was not a matter of getting rid of them! My sister in law was just in that position to put her 32 year old son in a nursing home due to terminal cancer. He needed facilities that your average house hold is not equipped with, he needed 24/7 medical care. Gene passed away last week. He had the best care, and he was kept comfortable as much as possible. No it's not a decision to get rid of them as you call it. It's a matter of dignity and best interest.

Exactly, Janie, though there are some people out there who are more than happy to not have to deal with some of these things. It's sad, but it's true. I just dread even the thought of having to do that to a loved one. I would keep my loved ones out of there for as long as I possibly could. My ex father-in-law was recently in a nursing home. His wife took care of him for as long as was humanly possible, but it was wearing on her also. He recently passed away. Just so sad. And my sympathy to you on the loss of your nephew. So sad!

Mikie, I respect you but I do not agree with your 'take' on the War Between the States. Nobody really 'won' because Mr. Lincoln and the Yanks got what they wanted at the time...a BIG centralized government which we have in DC now! The South wanted to retain the Constitutional based States' Rights, which we all lost, north & south!
I apologize for getting political here....just responding to a post.

Deb, when I had to sit in on the family decision about the health and well being of my dad after his traumatic head injury because of an accident, was the worst day in my life. But how the intense care he needed was draining my mom who was becoming a train wreck a care facility was the only solution. I would have wanted nothing more than to have my dad back the way he was before the accident. It makes me cringe knowing my neighbor is too mentally unstable to hold a job, but she is issued a drivers license.

I was not refering to what everybody is saying in response to my statement here. I also went through something with a family member, but she was allowed to stay home.

Once again everybody is taking what I posted wayyyyyyy out of what I meant.

Sometimes I wonder if it is even worth posting anything out here anymore. I AM NOT taking it as an 'attack' of any kind, it is just always taken another way without someone asking what I meant.....

Mckill, I understood what you meant.

Wow, from dredges to nursing homes! To the vast majority of readers of this site, placing a loved one in a "home" is a traumatic situation where all other options have played out. Sort of the double edged sword of modern health care....
There are, unfortunately, those sort of people to whom mickill refers. I can think of two sons who put their mother in a home, looted and sold the house and then pretty much left her there until she died. These situations do happen. Mickill has a valid point.
Maybe today's Bambie photo will be less controversial.

TO PAUL H. MEIER; 'Thank You,' for understanding what I meant.

I find the old dredge to be beautiful and comforting. Always there, aged and weathered, an old friend with a past, untold stories to share with anyone willing to find out.

mickill, if you'll read my post, you'll see that I didn't mean anything against what you said because I actually said to Janie that there ARE people out there who are exactly like you said. I said, "It's sad, but it's true!" THEN I went on to say the other stuff. So, I really wasn't taking you the wrong way. I knew exactly what you meant. Sorry if you thought something else.

In my defense, my family was poked by mis-informed and thoughtless people of just tossing my dad in a care facility, not the case!! I was just expressing the realism in opposite side of tossing away the elderly.

I knew what you meant, Janie! There are 2 sides to this.