Mine: Portland Mine, Michigamme, MI

Began → Portland Mine → Became

Operated for 6 years.

From: 1909

Location: N 1/2-NW Sec 26 of T48N-R31W

Owned by: Buffalo & Susquehanna Mining Co. then Niagara Iron Mining Col. Rogers-Brown Iron Co. agent.

Produced: Iron Ore, soft, red and yellow, non-bessemer.

Method: Open pit mine.

Railroad connection: DSS&A to Marquette dock. C&NW to Escanaba over trackage rights on DSS&A.

Until: 1915

Lifetime Production: 272,036 tons between 1909-1915.

Note

Operating in 1908. In Baraga County.

Time Line

1909. Mine opened.

1910. The Portland is being operated under contract by Hoose & Person, of Iron Mountain, and preparations are being made for big output. The stripping of the overburden at the Portland was started last season, and 80,000 tons of ore were mined by steam shovel and shipped before the close of navigation. A second large pit is now being opened a short distance west of the present pit, but it is no t anticipated that any ore to speak of will be shipped from here until about September 1. The eastern pit, which has been stripped for a considerable area, is now shipping heavily.

The eastern pit at the Portland has sown up a big body of ore. It is said that there is enough now in sight to keep a steam shovel in operation for at least five years. The overburden at both the eastern and western pits varies in depth from a point near the surface to some 30 feet, so that the stripping expense is not particularly heave. The formation is hard and it is necessary to blast down the ore before handling it with a shovel. [LAS-1910-0702]

1915. Mine closed.