Mine: White Pine Mine, White Pine, MI

Began → White Pine Mine → Closed

Operated for: initially 5 years, then 39 more years.

From: 1915

Owned by: White Pine Copper Co.

Produced: Copper sulfide ore.

Method: On site processing plant.

Railroad connection: Ontonagon Railway, then MILW. Then DSSA/Soo Line in 1946..

Stamp Mill/Smelter: On site.

Until: 1920. Then reopened in 1946. Closed again in 1995.

Lifetime Production: 

Photo Info: An overhead view of the White Pine mine. [MTU Archives]

Notes

White Pine Mine was located at White Pine Mine in western Ontonagon County about 1915 after mass copper was found here and the White Pine Copper Company was established. The mine closed in 1920 and then reopened in 1946 when a new process for recovering copper was established. [MPN]

White Pine Mine was reached by two different railroads. The old Ontonagon Railroad reached town from the north. Later, the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic railroad built a branch line to here from their main line at Bergland.

The White Pine mine townsite has homes from two different eras, the first around 1910 and the second from 1940-1950. [MIS-2022-Sum]

As of 2022, there is at least one proposal to activate parts of this mine site, including the "Copperwood" project which is in the permitting process. The railroad line from Wisconsin via Bergland, MI remains but is overgrown.

Time Line

1909. The first explorations of the mine site were conducted by the Calumet & Hecla Company. These were not pursued because of lack of transportation. [MIS-2022-Sum]

1915. The CM&StP reaches White Pine mine, via Ontonagon. Mining begins. [MIS-2022-Sum]

1929. The Copper Range Company purchases the mine but activity stops due to the depression. [MIS-2022-Sum]

1933. The MILW right-of-way from Ontonagon to White Pine is sold  to logging operations. [MIS-2022-Sum]

1946. Ore from the mine is transported to the Freda mill for processing, 4-8 car loads per day via the MILW and the COPR. Bids were received from four railroads to build new branches to the mine. MILW, COPR, C&NW and DSS&A made proposals and the DSS&A was selected to build a branch from Bergland north to the mine. The DSS&A used a short part of the former MILW right-of-way to reach the mine. [MIS-2022-Sum]

1964. Robert Richardson, traffic manager for the White Pine Copper Co., said his firm spends $2 million a year to ship its ore via the Soo Line railroad. [LSJ-1964-1110]

1965. This is an active copper mine, operated by the White Pine Copper Company. [DMP]

1995. The mine was closed. [MIS-2022-Sum]