Mine: Humboldt Mine, Humboldt, MI

Washington Mine → Humboldt Mine → Became

Operated for 31 years.

From: 1876

Location: S 1/2-SW Sec. 1; S 1/2-SE and SE-SW Sec. 2; SE and SE-SW Sec. 10; all of Secs. 11 and 12; N 1/2 Sec. 13; N 1/2 Sec. 14; and NE-NW, N 1/2-NE and SE-NE Sec. 15 of T47N-R29W. Includes former Washington, N 1/2 Sec. 11, and former Sampson, SW-SE and SE-SW Sec. 2.

Owned by: Leased from Washington Mine Co. in 1876. Later Humboldt Mining Co. Interests by CCI and Ford Motor Co.

Produced: Iron Ore

Method: Open pit.

Railroad connection: MH&O. Later DSS&A to Marquette dock and LS&I to Presque Isle Dock

Stamp Mill/Pellet Plant: On site.

Until: 1906.

Lifetime Production: From 1876 to 1906 shipped 426,264 tons of iron ore. [LSMI-1909]

Notes

Section 11, 47-29.

Time Line

1878. Constructed a railroad switch to connect with the MH&O to the Edwards Mine. Also known as the Washington Mine.

1950. A new mining enterprise to produce high-grade ore by concentration of jasper (hematite iron-formation). Project now under way (1950) includes construction of a beneficiation plant and agglomeration plant. Production from initial unit expected to begin by 1953. Initially ore from this mine was transported to the Eagle Mills improvement plant. A pelletizing plant was constructed on the property in 1960. This plant was owned by Cleveland Cliffs and Ford Motor, and pellets from here were transported by lake ore carriers to the Ford Rouge plant and other locations. [LSI1]

The new ore improvement plant and pellet plant increase ore content from 30-40% to 60-63%, making it competitive in the iron ore market. [LSI1]

1965. An open pit concentrates mine, owned by Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Company, Cleveland, OH. [DMP]

1986-1990. Between 1985 and 1990, the Callahan Mining Co. used the Humboldt Mill (improvement plant) to process gold from the Ropes Gold Mine in Ishpeming. [Eagle Mine publication]

2014. The ore improvement site at Humboldt was sold to Lundin Mining in 2014, which currently uses the site for improvement of nickel and copper mines from its nearby plant northeast of Marquette. Ore is brought to Humboldt by truck and shipped out by rail via the Mineral Range railroad.