Mine: Commonwealth Group Mines, Commonwealth, WI


Buckeye, Davidson and Badger mines → Commonwealth Group Mines → Became

Began: 1880

Location: SW Sec. 34 (Commonwealth); S 1/2-SE Sec. 33 (Buckeye); NW-SE Sec. 34 (Davidson); SE-SE Sec. 24 (Badger) all of T40N-R18E

Owner: Commonwealth Iron Co. (Oglebay, Norton & Co. agent and fee owner). After operations were discontinued, property divided and sold.

Iron Ore: High phosphous.

Method: Underground, worked by sub-level stoping or caving. depth 825 feet (Buckeye)

Railroad: C&NW to Escanaba docks. (?)

Ended: 1943

Total tonnage: 2,957,884 tons between 18801943


Time Line

1911. The Buckeye mine is located in Section 33-40-18 in the Wisconsin portion of the Menominee Range, in the Town of Commonwealth. It is worked by the Reserve Mining Co. under a lease from the Commonwealth Iron Co. and was opened in 1908. The shaft is down 495 feet and four levels have been opened up. The hoisting plant is the Sullivan automatic slide-valve type, the compressor a Sullivan straight line corliss. During the last year the mine buildings have been rebuilt and the equipment is very complete. The total production to date is 187,775 tons. E. W. Hopkins is general manager and Frank J. Smith, superintendent. [LSMI-1911]

Only known reserve is about 250,000 tons of high sulphur, high-phosphorus ore in the Buckeye.

[LSIO-1950]

 

 

Bibliography

The following sources are utilized in this website. [SOURCE-YEAR-MMDD-PG]:

  • [AAB| = All Aboard!, by Willis Dunbar, Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids ©1969.
  • [AAN] = Alpena Argus newspaper.
  • [AARQJ] = American Association of Railroads Quiz Jr. pamphlet. © 1956
  • [AATHA] = Ann Arbor Railroad Technical and Historical Association newsletter "The Double A"
  • [AB] = Information provided at Michigan History Conference from Andrew Bailey, Port Huron, MI

Contact Us

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

Invalid Input

 
Email: webmaster@michiganrailroads.com

Social