List: List of Stamp Mills and Smelters - in the Copper Range

Mining companies brought up copper rock from the mines which was a combination of raw copper and other rock. This aggregate needed to be improved so that it had a higher percentage of copper. Most mines had an affiliated stamp mill to process the rock.

These stamp mills were usually located along water (especially in later years) for several reasons. 1) Water was needed in the process to eliminate rock from copper. 2) Using coal and water, boilers operated giant stamps which crushed the rock. 3) The lakes provided a ready made location for discarded stamp sands. 4) Railroads carried rock from the mines to the mills, which was usually an easier, downhill haul. 5) Docks on the lakes were used to transport refined ore by boat to markets around the country.

After stamping the ore, some of the mines then smelted the remaining copper and poured them into pure copper molds, making bars for easier transport. These smelters are also listed below. (Note: Some refined ore was transported to other parts of the country and smelted at those locations).

The same railroads were also used to bring incoming coal from ships up to the mines.

The following mills and smelters have been identified in the copper range:

 * confirmed on map(s)

 

Freda Area Of Lake Superior (in order east to west)

*Atlantic Mine Stamp Mill, Redridge - 1895

*Baltic Mine Stamp Mill, Redridge -  ~1901

*Adventure Consolidated Mining Co. Stamp Mill, Edgemere - 1902 to 1917

*Trimountain Mining Co. Stamp Mill, Beacon Hill - 1902 (burned 1916)

*Champion Copper Co. Mill, Freda - 1899 - 1967

 

Lake Linden Area of Torch Lake (North to South)

(Downtown Lake Linden)

*C&H Reclamation Plant

*C&H Stamp Mill, Lake Linden (2 - Calumet North, Hecla South) - 1895/1917/1924/1934/1943

*Linwood Depot - 1917/1924/1934

*C&H Coal Dock and Sheds, Lake Linden - 1917/1924/1934/1943

*C&H Smelting Works, Lake Linden - 1917/1924/1934/1943

*Depot - 1917/1924/1934

*C&H Coal Shed - 1917/1924

*Armstrong & Thielman Lumber Co. - 1917/1924/1934

*Amheek Mill, Hubbell (East side of M-26) - 1910

*Tamarack Stamp Mills, Hubbell - 1890/1895/1917/1924/1934/1943

*Mills Depot, Hubbell - 1917/1924/1934

*Osceola Stamp Mills, Hubbell - 1895/1917/1924/1934

*Quincy Stamp Mills and Coal Shed, Hubbell - 1896/1917/1924/1934/1943

*Woodside Depot - 1917/1924/1934

*Lake Superior Smelting Co. - 1917/1924/1934

*Tamarack-Osceola Copper Mfg. Co. (Smelter?) - 1917/1924/1934

*Tamarack Coal Dock - 1917/1924/1934

*Houghton Lumber Co. Lumber Docks - 1917/1924/1934

 

Others here:

Franklin Mill, Hubbell

Peninsula Mill (formally served thre Franklin Mine)

Hubbell Smelter, Hubbell

 

On "Island" from Dollar Bay to South End Of Island (North to South)

*Woodside dept on DSS&A - 1917/1924/1934

*Dollar Bay (water) - 1917/1924/1934

*Tamarack-Osceola Copper Mfg. Co. 

*Franklin Stamp Mill, Grossepoint -  1901/1917/1934

* Point Mills Wye & Depot, Point Mills - 1917/1924/1934

*Grossepoint

*Centennial Stamp Mill - 1917/1924/1934

*Arcadian Mill, Point Mills - 1899

*End of track in 1934. 

 

Hancock Area on Portage Lake (west to east)

*Powder Houses - 1934

*Waterworks Stacks - 1917/1934/1943

*City Dock, Hancock - 1943

*St. Joseph Hospital - 1917/1934

*Horrigan Oil Company, Hancock - 1943 (Fuel & Supply Co. Coal Dock in 1934)

*Mineral Range railroad dock - 1917/1934

*Close & Hodgson dock - 1917/1934

*P. Ruppe dock - 1917/1934

*Mutual Transportation Company - 1934

*Hancock City Dock - 1917

*Peoples Fuel Company Coal Dock, Hancock - 1917/1924/1934/1943

*Portage Canal Swing Bridge - 1917/1934/1943

*Houghton County Road Commission - 1943

*Hedge? Iron Company - 1934

Quincy Stamp Mill - 1848-187(Later pumping station)

*Quincy Mining Company Smelting works, Hancock - 1934/1943

*Franklin Dock - 1917/1924/1934

*Portage Lake Foundry & Machine Company, Ripley - 1934/1943

*Double L Fish Company, Ripley - 1943

*Portage Coal Dock Company, Ripley - 1934/1943

*Standard Oil Company, Ripley - 1917/1943

*Portage Lake (PL) Boiler Works - 1917/1934

*Saw Mill - 1917/1934

*J. H. Green Company, RIpley - 1943

*J. B. Markus & Company - 1943

*Houghton Lumber Co. Lumber Docks - 1934

 

Others here:

A. Schwartz Concentrating Mill (1907)

Lake Superior Iron Works

Lake Superior Smelting Company (closed in 1907 except for pumps)

Lake Superior Smelting Co.  4 miles E of Hancock

Houghton Gas & Coke Company, Ripley

Tamarack & Osceola Mining Co. Coal Dock

Quincy Mining Co. Stamp Mills - 7 miles NE of Hancock

Tamarack-Oceola Copper Manufacturing Co. Wire mill

Ottawa & Centenial Mining Co. Milling, Smelting and Refining Co., Point Mills. 9 miles SE of Hancock.

Allouez Mill, Point Mills

Atlantic Mill (original), Houghton

C&H Smelting Works, Hubbell

*Centennial Mill, Point Mills - 1943

*Atlas Powder Company, Torch Lake Township (on island) - 1943

 

Houghton Area on Portage Lake (east to west)

*Isle Royal Mining Co. Dock - 1924

*Isle Royal Mining Co. Stamp Mill - 1857/1924/1934

*Michigan College of Mines, Houghton - 1917/1924/1934/1943

* DSS&A Freighthouse, Roundhouse and tank - 1943

*Hamar Quandt Company - 1943

*Michael Messner Coal Company - 1943

*Portage Lake Foundry - 1943

*Houghton Flour Mill - 1943

*Cruze Coal Dock - 1917

*Forthey/Cruze Coal Dock - 1917/1924

*DSS&A Depot, Huron Street, Houghton - 1943

*Roach & Seeber - 1917

*Portage Canal Bridge - Bridge Street - 1943

*Houghton Electric Light Company - 1917/1924/1934/1943

*Copper Range Depot Second Street - 1924/1934/1943

*Copper Range Coal Dock - 1917

*Copper Range Yard and Roundhouse - 1924/1934/1943

*M. Van Orden Co. Coal Dock - 1917/1924/1934/1943

*Atlantic Coal Dock - 1917/1924/1934

*Michigan Smelting Company near Cole Creek Light, 1917/1924/1934/1943

 

 

Gay Area on Keweenaw Bay

Mohawk Stamp Mill, Gay

Wolverine Stamp Mill, Gay

 

Other

Central Mill, Central

Clifton Mill, Clifton

Clark Mill, Copper Harbor

Copper Falls Mill, Eagle Harbor

Delaware Mill, Delaware

Dodgeville Mill, Dodgeville

Hills Creek Mill, Allouez, MI - 3 miles northwest of Allouez. 

Huron Mill, Hurontown

Isle Royal Mill, Houghton

Michigan Smelter, Coles Creek, Houghton

 

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For further information about these mills and smelters, go to the Stations|Locations menus. Most on this list are located individually in the Houghton or Keweenaw county station list.