Mine: Odgers Mine, Crystal Falls, MI

Began → Odgers Mine → Became

Operated for 19 years.

From: 1916

Location: S 1/2-NE Sec. 30 of T43N-R32W

Owned by: Corrigan McKinney Steel Co. which merged with Republic Steel Corp. in 1935. Lease surrendered in 1936.

Produced: Iron Ore, soft, reddish-brown, high phosphorus. Crushed.

Method: Underground, worked by stoping method. Depth: 868 feet.

Railroad connection: C&NW and MILW to port of Escanaba.

Until: 1935

Lifetime Production: 2,101,381 tons between 1916 and 1935.

Source: [LSIO-1950]

Notes

80 acres in Section 30, T43N-R32W. [MINDAT]

Coordinates: Between N46-5-39, N46-5-52, W88-20-47 and W33-21-24.

Photo Info: Top, the shaft house at the Odgers Mine. Note the serious cave in at the site. 1923  [MINART] 2nd image, a view of the Odgers mine collapse in 1923.

Time Line

1915. November. Corrigan, McKinney & Co. will be operating the Odgers Mine through a company styled the "Hudson Mining Co." The mine is named after Ira Odgers of Crystal Falls who was the moving spirit in the exploration of it by his company, Cole & McDonald. [DD-1915-1113]

1915. December. The men engaged in sinking the shaft at the Odgers mine encountered a bog of quicksand at a depth of about 15 feet and progress since that time has been slow. There is only 25-feet of overburden on the ledge and the drill work and old test pit work in that vicinity led everyone to suppose that the stuff was of a hard nature and would give but little trouble. The installing of machinery is going on rapidly. A temporary engine house has been erected and in about a week's time there will be all kinds of power available for a rapid opening of the property. [DD-1915-1211]

1916. The work of equipping the Odgers mine had progressed so far that the new hoist was started up and since then the work at the property has been carried on by steam and air power. The shaft had been put down 42 feet, all of it since the ledge was met with. [DD-1916-0116]

1916. The Milwaukee and the Northwestern railroads will commence at once the construction of a set of joint tracks at the Odgers mine. [DD-1916-0129]

1916. Byron Hicks of Vulcan was awarded the contract for construction of the spur track around the Odgers mine. Mr. Hicks will start work on his contract soon. [DD-1916-0212]

1918. April. The Odgers mine was the first to load ore for the shipping season of 1918. Cars were set at the property by the St. Paul last Monday and on Tuesday morning ore was loaded into the cars. [DD-19188-0406]

Articles

• From Grass Roots to Iron Mine in Nine Months - 1917