By Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew) on Monday, October 6, 2014 - 05:02 pm:
The Jackson Mine in Negaunee was the first open pit mine in the Lake Superior Region, which began as a mountain of iron ore that stood 150 feet high. Miners chipped away by hand, using a bar and pick to obtain the ore from the mine and often times drilled holes by hand to place explosives in, which in turn helped to get the ore out of the rock, too.
Laurie Bashaw visited the historic mining site off the Heritage Trail, with a personal interest in the history of the mine. She tells us about it here:
"My late husband Steve's great grandfather, Thomas Bashaw worked at the Jackson Mine. From his Civil War pension papers, he states that he couldn't work because of "rheumatism and his right foot affected by a cut of axe which incurred at Negaunee, Michigan when at work at the Jackson Mine at City of Negaunee Michigan five years." There is more, but I will leave it there for now. All this leads me to think that he most likely was diabetic, but didn't know it at the time. It really moved me to be where the iron ore was discovered in our area and to think of the men and what their working conditions must have been like. This is all in an area of Negaunee which is called "Old Towne". It is former caving grounds that have been determined now to be safe. Thomas and his family also lived on these caving grounds. The second photo is an example of the foundations and steps that are still there."
It sure is wonderful when sites like this are designed and maintained, forever preserving the mining history that formed this area. Generations to come will be able to visit this park to actually see what a mine tunnel was like and learn the history of the back-breaking job obtaining iron ore from the land was in those days.
Special thanks to Laurie for sharing her visit to the park with us and especially for the personal glimpse into her family's involvement working there years ago.
