Mine: Republic Mine, Republic, MI

Began → Republic Mine → Became

Operated for 54 years - in two periods.

From: 1871

Location: All of Sec. 7 except Lot 7 of T46N-R29W. Includes West Republic Mine which was Lots 4 and 6, Sec. 7.

Owned by: Republic Mining Company (M.A. Hanna agent)  in 1908, then Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. in 1917.

Produced: Iron Ore, hard, specular Bessemer and non-Bessemer.

Method: Originallly underground, open stoping and shrinkage method. Greatest depth was 2,910 feet. Then open pit mine.

Railroad connection: MH&O branch connects from Humboldt, completed in 1872. Later, LS&I to Presque Isle dock.

Until: 1926. Shipped from stockpile in 1937. Reopened date 1954 until 1981.

Lifetime Production: 528,000 tons shipped between 1872 and 1877. 8,563,170 tons between 1872 and 1937.

Image Info: Top, a view of the Republic Mine head frame in 1927. [Robert Platt photo, Greg Bunce collection]. 2nd image, a great view of the innerworkings of the open pit mine in the early 1900's. The photo shows a locomotive, ore cars, power shovel, mine shaft house, and even a section crew on a track car. 3rd photo, probably the same photo as above but with a wider view. An early view of the Republic mine before it became an open pit mine. Note the locomotive and ore cars loading near the shaft house. [MINART]. 4th photo of the Republic Mine area. [MINART]. 5th photo, in its final days, a pair of Lake Superior & Ishpeming units are photographed under an ore loading facility at Republic Mine in September, 1977. [Mark Andersen]. 6th photo, a view south to the Republic Mine loadout. 7th photo, a similar view with ore cars in the yard and LS&I power. 8th photo, a view of the LS&I looking north from Republic Mine. [All-Mark Andersen photos]

Notes

The Republic Mine was located in the town of Republic which is located six miles southwest of Humboldt in Marquette County. Ultimately, Republic Mine became a very large open pit mine prior to its closure in the early 1970's.

The Republic Mine was located in the town of Republic which is located six miles southwest of Humboldt in Marquette County. Ultimately, Republic Mine became a very large open pit mine prior to its closure in the early 1970's.

The original mine site around 1917 appears to have been an underground mine, reached by all three railroads from a single branch south of the village crossing. Going south from the crossing, there was an ore loading picket, ore crusher and engine house, warehouse, offices, engine house, shaft, machine shop, stockpiles and loading dock.

Time Line

1891. July 21. A fire broke out in No. 5 shaft of the Republic iron mine near Marquette, yesterday and has communicated to other shafts. More than 1,000 men are out of work until it is extinguished. [DFP-1931-0721]

1914. The Cleveland Cliffs Iron company has concluded one of the largest purchases in the iron history of the upper peninsula, buying the Cambria Steel company, of Pennsylvania, and the Republic iron mine of Republic, 35 miles southwest of Marquette. The purchase takes all of the holdings of that property, including the mine power plants, the houses constituting the greater town of Republic, stores and water power development at Michigamme, 15 miles from Republic, and about 5,000 acres of land and ore deposits. The Cliffs company is the largest iron company outside of the steel trust. The company owns the LS&I railroad, which has the largest ore docks in the world at Marquette and will extend its railroad to Republic, a distance of 14 miles, to bring the ore to the dock. The Republic mine's output is about 1,000 tons daily and will be increased as will the number of employees, normally about 600. [SJHP-1914-0521]

1934. One of the largest deals consummated in the iron ore history of the upper peninsula was concluded today with the buying by the Cleveland Cliffs company of the Republic iron mine at Republic. The mine was owned by the Cambria steel company of Pennsylvania. CCI is now probably the largest iron company outside the steel trust. [HPAL-1934-0531]

1937. The Marquette iron range was the scene of major developments in low grade ore (jasper) concentration and agglomeration. The Marquette Iron Mining Co., Republic mine and mill had its first full year of operation with separation of the non-magnetic iron being done by the froth flotation method. The firm's agglomeration plant, incorporating several features new to the area, was placed in service late in the season at Eagle Mills, Mich. just east of Negaunee. The Marquette Mining Co. is comprised of the following firms: CCI, Wheeling Steel, Inland Steel, International Harvester, Jones & Laughlin Steel with CCI managing the operations. [EFP-1937-0114]

1954. The new Republic mine, known as the Marquette Iron Mining Company, was a joint venture between Cleveland Cliffs and Jones & Laughlin, Wheeling-Pittsburgh, and International Harvester. [LSI1] Ore from the new open pit mine was transported by the LS&I to a new pelletizing plant just east of Eagle Mills yard.

1957. The Republic mine and mill finished its first full year of operation with separation of the non-magnetic iron being done by the froth flotation method. The firm's agglomeration plant, incorporating several new features, was placed in service late in the season at Eagle Mills, MI. [EDP-1937-0114]

1962. Republic mine built an on-site pellet plant at Republic in 1962, but the mine continued to feed the Eagle Mills plant and later capacity at the Humboldt pellet plant.

1965. Active Open pit concentrates. Owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company. [DMP]