For over 7,000 years, people have been extracting copper from the Keweenaw Peninsula. Profitable mining companies formed in the 1840s and the area was the nation's leading producer of copper for about 40 years. The artifact above, on display in Calumet, is 9,392 pounds of native copper that was buried under three feet of soil and discovered in 1970.
We visited the Quincy Mine complex located in Hancock, Michigan on our July 2016 visit to the Lake Superior region. The Number 2 mine operated from 1846 until 1945 and on the later date operated the longest and deepest shaft in the world at 9,260 feet long and 6,225 feet deep. Some operations at the complex continued into the 1970s. The Quincy Mining Company Historic District is a US National Historic Landmark District and is a Keweenaw Heritage Site associated with Keweenaw National Historical Park.
Tour tickets are sold at the gift shop and the tours start at the 1894 hoist house. The mining equipment in the hoist house has been removed and replaced with informational displays in the front portion and racks of hard hats and jackets for those going on the mine tour and 1918 hoist house tour in the rear portion. Restrooms are also located in the building.
As it was late in the day, we chose not to tour the mine. We did ride the cog railway that opened in 1977 for the purpose of transporting visitors to the horizontal mine entrance. The Quincy and Torch Lake Cog Railway operates a single diesel-powered car capable of hauling 28 passengers down the maximum 35% grade to the adit entrance of the mine.
Returning to the top of the hill, the tour continued with a walk-through of the 1918 Hoist House. In operation for only 11 years, the building housed the largest steam driven hoist in the world.
The tour ended at the hoist house, but we were encouraged to tour the rest of the grounds on our own. This included a couple of steam locomotives, a typical miner's house, and the Shaft House.
Gift Shop
Exhibit in the gift shop showing the Shaft House, Hoist Houses and cog railway
1918 Hoist House (left), 1894 Hoist House (center), and Boiler House (right)
Model of Quincy Stamp Mill
Rafters of 1894 Hoist House
Derelict rail cars
End of Boiler House
Tram control stand
Houghton-Hancock Bridge (aka Portage Lake Lift Bridge) from the cog railway
First view of 1918 Hoist House on tour
Hoist drum
High pressure steam cylinder
Models used to demonstrate mining process
Another view of the hoist and low pressure cylinder
The braking system is painted orange
Wooden brake shoe
Spokes attach the hollow drum to its axle
Spiral stairs lead to operator's station
Concrete arches support the roof
The two hoist houses were built at an angle to each other
Cog railway car
Uphill end of the car
2-6-0 steam locomotive
2-8-0 steam locomotive
Miner's house
Interpretive display
Kitchen and dining room
Singer sewing machine
Children's room
Side view of 1918 hoist house
Shaft house from the 1918 hoist house
1882 Hoist House
Shaft House from the gift shop
Overhead chutes loaded poor-rock railroad cars
8-ton skips brought rock to the surface
Another view of the shaft house
Entry to the Keweenaw National Historical Park Calumet Visitor Center is free. However, many organizations partnering with the park have admission fees for their sites. This includes the Quincy Mine Hoist Association with a range of prices depending on the tour and age of the participant. A full tour of the surface, tram and mine is $25 for an adult. Tours are discounted for children age 6 to 12 and adults age 55 and above. Discounts for AAA, military, etc. may also be available.
