Part of Dexter Mine → Blueberry Mine → Closed
Operated for 24 years.
From: 1926
Located: N 1/2-NW Sec 3 and N 1/2-N 1/2 Sec 4 of T47N-R28W. Includes NE-NW Sec 3, formerly part of Dexter.
Owned by: Ford Motor Company from 1926 to 1933. Then North Range Mining Co.
Produced: Iron Ore; soft dark red non-Bessemer. Crushed.
Method: Underground. 1,650 feet. Top slicing and stoping method.
Railroad connection: DSS&A to Marquette ore dock.
Until: 1955. Exhausted of ore.
Lifetime Production: 5.3 million tons from 1929-1950
[LSIO]
The Greenwood area in Marquette County was settled about 1865. The townsite was a station on the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic railroad. The townsite also had blast furnaces of the Michigan Iron Company and was originally known as Greenwood Furnace. The furnaces were closed in 1875. [MPN]
This was just east of Diorite on the C&NW. The DSS&A used a connection at Diorite to reach the mine. [CNWV]
The mine was owned by Ford Motor and visited frequently by Henry Ford in its early days. After a few years, Ford contracted with the North Range Mining Company. They also operated the Mary Charlotte and Champion mines. North Range president Ralph Archibald also served as a director for the DSS&A. Most ore was shipped via the DSS&A. [GS]
This was one of the best maintained mined on the Range. After several years, Ford contracted the operation of the mine to the North Range Mining Company. Ford maintained ownership. (North Range would also operate the Mary Charlotte and Champion mines). Ore from this mine was the first shipped from Ore Dock No. 6 in Escanaba.
Trains accessed the mine via Blueberry Mine Junction (formerly American Mine Jct.) north a few miles to a short section of joint track with the C&NW and LS&I to get to the mine. Blueberry Mine Junction had a wye with a setout track for freight cars destined to the Blueberry mine. It also had a water tower and track side phone booth to call the Marquette dispatcher. Ore trains from the Champion and Blueberry would turn their steam locomotives here for the return rip to Marquette or the Ann Street ore yard in Negaunee. [GS]
Ford built one large U-shaped building to house all surface operations, mostly extant today.
1927. Tracks were built from the C&NW Michigamme Branch into the Blue Berry Mine, which was adjacent. These were joint with the DSS&A and LS&I.
