Mine: Loretto Mine, Loretto, MI

Sturgeon River and Appleton mines → Eleanor Mine → Loretto Mine → Became

Operated for 47 years.

From: 1893

Location: NW-SE, E 1/2-SE and SE-NE Sec. 12 oif T39N-R29W; SW and SW-NW Sec. 7 of T39N-R28W. Includes the Eleanor (also called Appleton and Sturgeon River) which was E 1/2-SW of Sec. 7.

Owned by: Operated by Loretto Iron Co. until 1927. Then by American-Boston Mining Co., M.A. Hanna agent. Lease surrendered.

Produced: Iron Ore, soft, blue, non-Bessemer and Bessemer. Crushed.

Method: Underground, worked by top slicing method.

Railroad connection: C&NW to Escanaba ore dock.

Until: 1940

Lifetime Production: 3,729,581 tons between 1887-1940.

Source: [LSIO-1950]

Notes

Loretto Mine was an iron ore mine located at Loretto, MI in Dickenson County.

E ½ of SW ¼, SE ¼, SW ¼ of NW ¼ and W ½ of SW ¼ of Section 7; SE ¼ of NW ¼, SE ¼ of NE ¼, NW ¼ of SE ¼ and E ½ of SE ¼ of Section 13, Township 39 North, Range 29 West

Time Line

1908. July 21. Contractor John Marsch brought nearly one hundred guests to Loretto on a special Wisconsin & Michigan Railway train to watch as the Sturgeon River was diverted into its new bed. Marsch’s crew had cut a channel 5,440 feet long, excavating some 260,000 cubic yards of earth and limestone rock, so that the Loretto Mine could be connected with the Appleton Mine which were separated by the Sturgeon River. During the excursion from Iron Mountain to Loretto guests were provided with a sumptuous lunch and entertained by Castel’[s Band. [Menominee Range Historical Museum]

1911. Located in Section 7, T. 39 N., R. 28 W., between the northern and southern belts of dolomite. Operated by the Loretto Iron Company. As the Sturgeon River formerly passed over the ore body, mining was conducted by the room and pillar system to a depth of 800 feet. In 1908 the course of the river was diverted to the west of the ore body and operations since that time have consisted of mining out the pillars by the top slicing system.

There are two shafts in use, No. 1 hoisting shaft 6x12 feet, 800 feet deep and No. 3 timber shaft 8x10 feet, 300 feet deep. The boiler plant consists of two 76”x20’ and 72”x20’ horizontal tubular boilers, and one 10’ 6”x12’ 6” Scotch marine boiler. The mechanical equipment consists of one Bullock 21”x36” direct acting flat rope hoist, one Webster, Camp & Lane 10”x14” geared hoist, one 16”x30” and 30”x19”x42” cross compound Rand compressor and a 10”x18” and 11½”x7”x5½”x3⅜”x12” Laidlaw-Dunn-Gordon high pressure air compressor. [LSMI-1911]

1939. Shipped from stockpile in 1939 and 1940. [LSIO-1950]