Calumet and Hecla Industrial District

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Calumet and Hecla Industrial District
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Calumet & Hecla Industrial Site, c. 1910. Library is in the middleground at center.
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LocationRoughly bounded by Hecla and Torch Lake RR tracks, Calumet Ave., Mine and Depot Sts., Calumet, Michigan
Coordinates 47°14′33″N88°27′0″W / 47.24250°N 88.45000°W / 47.24250; -88.45000 Coordinates: 47°14′33″N88°27′0″W / 47.24250°N 88.45000°W / 47.24250; -88.45000
ArchitectShaw & Hunnewell; Et al.
Part of Calumet Historic District (ID89001097)
NRHP reference No. 74000985 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 28, 1974
Designated CPMarch 28, 1989
Designated MSHSNovember 15, 1973 [2]

The Calumet and Hecla Industrial District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan and roughly bounded by Hecla and Torch Lake railroad tracks, Calumet Avenue, Mine and Depot Streets. The district contains structures associated with the copper mines worked by the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, located along a line above the copper lode, where railroad tracks connected separate mine heads. [2] The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District (a National Historic Landmark District) and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 [2] and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. [1]

Contents

History

The copper lode underneath the Calumet and Hecla Industrial District was discovered in 1858 by Edwin J. Hulbert, who immediately garnered investors, bought the property, and established the Hulbert Mining Company. [3] The Hulbert Mining Company had two subsidiaries: the Calumet Mining Company and the Hecla Mining Company. [3] Hulbert began mining operations in the area, but his inexperience resulted in low yields. [3] In 1867, his investors replaced him with Alexander Agassiz. Under Agassiz's management, the Calumet and Hecla mines rapidly increased production, and by 1870 were producing over half of the United States' copper. [3] In 1871, the Calumet and Hecla Mining Companies were consolidated, along with the Scott and Portland Mining Companies, to form the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. [4]

Agassiz was the president of the newly incorporated company, a position he held until his death in 1910. [3] The company prospered under his leadership; [3] in particular it underwent substantial growth between 1880 and 1910, when most of these buildings currently standing in the district were built. However, after a 1913 mining strike, the company gradually declined, [2] and was weakened further by the onset of the Great Depression. [3] Finally, in 1968, the company was purchased by Universal Oil Products, [3] who closed the Keweenaw mines for good. [2]

Buildings

Locations of structures in this historic district. Structures included are in dark blue; other Calumet and Hecla Industrial structures are in light blue. Industrial Calumet.jpg
Locations of structures in this historic district. Structures included are in dark blue; other Calumet and Hecla Industrial structures are in light blue.

There are ten buildings in the district: [2] [5] the Machine Shop, the "Blacksmith Shop," (misidentified as such; actually the Pipe Shop), the Roundhouse, Warehouse #2, the Superior Boilerhouse, the Gearhouse, the General Office Building, the Library, the Bathhouse, and the Miscowaubik Club. These structures, constructed primarily during the 1880s, represent the second generation of mine buildings constructed at the site; [4] the earliest structures were destroyed by fire or razed. [2] These buildings are part of a larger industrial complex of mine-related buildings, originally built by the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, that still stand in the area along Calumet Avenue and Mine Street. [3]

Machine Shop (c. 1882)

Machine Shop Calumet MI Industrial Building B.jpg
Machine Shop

The machine shop is a two-story structure, 416 feet (127 m) long and 54 feet (16 m) wide, made of coursed mine rock [4] with a hipped gable roof covered in corrugated sheet metal. [6] A clerestory window admits light to the interior, which is floored in concrete. [6] The original machine shop was designed around 1882 by Erasmus D. Leavitt Jr., a consulting engineer with Calumet & Hecla; [4] it was used to repair large equipment, including mining skips and trams. [3] A major reconstruction was performed in 1907, and additions were made in 1911; it is likely that the building in its current form dates entirely from these two years. [4]

Blacksmith Shop (Pipe Shop) (1883)

The blacksmith shop, built in 1883, is a hipped-roof structure built of rock, measuring 96 feet (29 m) by 54 feet [4] and roofed with corrugated metal. [7] It was originally used as a locomotive house [4] for the narrow gauge Calumet & Hecla railroad. [7] It was later used as a smith shop; an addition was constructed in 1904. [7]

Roundhouse (1888)

The roundhouse is built of coursed mine rock masonry in the shape of a semicircle with a turntable in the center. [4] The original structure, built in 1888 to service locomotives for the Hecla and Torch Lake Railroad, ran approximately 170 degrees around the turntable, [8] and had twelve train stalls ranging from 75 feet (23 m) deep on the south end and 90 feet (27 m) deep on the north. [4] The structure is built of random mine rock with brick arches over the windows with a shed roof. [8] Train bay doors are spanned with cast iron lintels. [8]

A later addition from 1902 increased the circumferential span of the building by 55 degrees, adding five train bays. [8] In 1907, three additions were made: a small shed and drying house, and a 75 feet (23 m) by 60 feet (18 m) machine shop. [8] The machine shop was roofed by a low gable, and the eaves and construction matched that of the original structure. [8] Finally, in 1928 an 80 feet (24 m) by 37 feet (11 m) storage area. [4]

Warehouse #2

Warehouse number 2 was constructed with rail tracks running through it so that large items could be loaded inside. [3]

Superior Boilerhouse (1880)

The original Superior Boilerhouse, built in 1880, is a 60 feet (18 m) by 77 feet (23 m) structure, constructed of coursed rubble, with a steeply hipped roof and an attached brick smokestack measuring 150 feet (46 m) tall. [4] An addition built in 1895, known as the "New Boilerhouse," [9] measures 154 feet (47 m) by 69 feet. [4] Both the original boilerhouse and the addition were designed by Erasmus D. Leavit, Jr., and were intended to supply steam to the nearby enginehouse. [4]

Gearhouse (c. 1890)

The gearhouse is constructed from rough sandstone and mine rock with a steeply pitched roof. [4] It measures 78 feet (24 m) by 71 feet (22 m). The structure was first built sometime in the 1880s, but was rebuilt in the 1890s after a disastrous fire. [4] The original use of this building was housing the main pumping engine equipment; [10] however, in 1892 it was converted to use as an electrical power house, [10] and used as such until a new power plant was built in Lake Linden in 1906. [4]

General Office Building (c. 1890)

General Office Building, now the Park Headquarters Keweenaw National Historical Park Headquarters.jpg
General Office Building, now the Park Headquarters

The General Office Building is a ​3 1⁄2-story office building built of reddish-brown stone trimmed with brick. [4] [11] It was used as a general mine operation center, and also housed engineering and accounting departments. [3] The original building was designed in the early 1890s by the Boston firm of Shaw and Hunnewell; two later additions, architecturally faithful to the original, were designed by the Marquette firm of Charlton and Kuenzli. [4] Of these three sections, the eastern section measures 69 feet (21 m) by 46 feet (14 m), the western section 22 feet (6.7 m) by 30 feet (9.1 m), and the northern section 46 feet (14 m) by 35 feet. [4]

The building currently serves as the headquarters for the Keweenaw National Historical Park. [3]

Library (1898)

Library, now the Park History Center Keweenaw National Historical Park History Center.jpg
Library, now the Park History Center

Like the office building, the library was designed by Shaw and Hunnewell. [4] The building is two-and-a-half stories high, built of rough masonry trimmed with brick around the windows, and with brick quoins. [4] [12] It is built in a "T" shape, with the main wing measuring 62 feet (19 m) by 42 feet (13 m) and the south wing 38 feet (12 m) by 32 feet. [12] The roof is formed from two intersecting gables covered with dark grey slate. [12]

The building was originally designed to house adult and children's reading rooms on the second floor, library stacks, office space, and cloakrooms on the first floor, and baths for men, women, and children in the basement. [12] Small alterations were made over the next few years, including adding a west entrance porch, reconfiguring the baths, and adding more shelves. [12]

In 1911, a new bathhouse was constructed, and the bath section of the library was remodeled to provide additional stack space. [4] However, as the fortunes of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company declined, support for the library became difficult. In 1944, the library collection was transferred to the Calumet High School, and the building was converted to office space. [12] The library currently serves as the Keweenaw History Center, housing historical artifacts and archives. [3]

The library is significant as a notable example of the paternalism of corporations at the time, as well as being a striking example of sophisticated design and stonework. [12]

Bathhouse (1910)

Bathhouse Bathhouse Calumet MI.jpg
Bathhouse

The bathhouse was constructed in 1910. [13] The building also served as the home of Calumet-based television station WBKP from its sign-on in 1996 until it moved from the area in 2001.[ citation needed ] The building was purchased in November 2020 by Calumet Electronics and will be renovated to serve as its headquarters. [14]

Miscowaubik Club (c. 1875)

Miscowaubik Club Miskatonic Club Calumet MI.jpg
Miscowaubik Club

The Miscowaubik Club was originally built as a private home, reportedly in about 1875 for chief mining engineer Thomas Hoatson. [15] The structure is a ​2 1⁄2-story wood-framed house with a gable roof, measuring 108 feet (33 m) by 83 feet. [15] In 1903, the house was converted into a private club by the firm of Parker, Thomas, and Rice. [15] The house has undergone extensive interior and exterior remodeling. [15]

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National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan

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Calumet and Hecla Mining Company

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James MacNaughton

James MacNaughton, also variously known as "the King of Houghton County", the "Czar of the Copper Country" or simply "Big Jim" was the third and last known President and General Manager of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company during the hate-filled Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914. In addition to the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, MacNaughton was also the General Manager of the Ahmeek Mining Company, Allouez Mining Company, North Kearsarge mine, South Kearsarge mine, Tamarack Mining Company, Osceola Consolidated Copper Company, St. Louis Copper Company, Laurium Mining Company, La Salle Copper Company, Isle Royale Copper Company, Superior Copper Company, and the Centennial Copper Mining Company. MacNaughton also held a position as the Chairman of the Houghton County Board of Supervisors and the first chairman of Miscowaubik, a private business club headquartered in Calumet, Michigan.

Calumet Downtown Historic District United States historic place

The Calumet Downtown Historic District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan, on 5th Street and 6th Street, between Scott Street and Pine Street. It is also known as the Red Jacket Downtown Historic District, reflecting the original name of the village. The Historic District is completely contained in the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. It was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1973 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Calumet Historic District United States historic place

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Thomas H. Hoatson House United States historic place

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Calumet Fire Station United States historic place

The Calumet Fire Station is a firehouse located on 6th Street in Calumet, Michigan. It is also known as the Red Jacket Fire Station. The building was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1971 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and is part of the Calumet Historic District and the Keweenaw National Historical Park. The building now houses the Upper Peninsula Fire Fighters Memorial Museum.

Quincy Mining Company Stamp Mills Historic District United States historic place

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Quincy Dredge Number Two

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Quincy Smelter Former copper smelter in Ripley, Michigan

The Quincy Smelter, also known as the Quincy Smelting Works, is a former copper smelter located on the north side of the Keweenaw Waterway in Ripley, Michigan. It is a contributing property of the Quincy Mining Company Historic District, a National Historic Landmark District. The smelter was built in 1898 by the Quincy Mining Company, operating from 1898 to 1931 and again from 1948 to 1971. The smelter was part of a Superfund site from 1986 to 2013.

Italian Hall

Italian Hall was a two-story commercial and recreational building in Calumet, Michigan, built in 1908 and demolished in 1984. Two prior buildings known popularly as "Italian Hall" had stood on the site. The first floor housed commercial space with a large hall on the second floor. The building served as headquarters for the Società Mutua Beneficenza Italiana and hosted community events. The hall is notorious as the site of a disaster in 1913 in which over 70 people died after a false cry of "fire" at a Christmas party. Since demolition, the site has served as a memorial park. The property is a Michigan State Historic Site and the building was formerly on the National Register of Historic Places.

Anna Clemenc

Anna "Big Annie" Klobuchar Clemenc was an American labor activist. Born in Calumet, Michigan, she founded and served as president of the local Women's Auxiliary No. 15 of the Western Federation of Miners and was an active participant in the Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914. She is an inducted member of the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Calumet and Hecla Industrial District Archived 2011-06-06 at the Wayback Machine from the state of Michigan
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Industrial Calumet: A guide to the Calumet & Hecla Copper Mining Company industrial site, National Park Service
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Charles K. Hyde, Diane B. Abbott, Historic American Engineering Record, The Upper peninsula of Michigan: an inventory of historic engineering and industrial sites, Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, US Department of Interior, 1978, pp. 8-16.
  5. ↑ Calumet and Hecla Industrial District NRHP nomination form
  6. 1 2 Machine Shop, Mine Street, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-432, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1975.
  7. 1 2 3 Blacksmith Shop, Off of Mine Street, behind Machine Shop, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-437, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1974
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Calumet & Hecla Roundhouse, Northeast corner of Mine & Depot Streets, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-428, Kevin Harrington, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1975.
  9. ↑ Calumet & Hecla Mining Company, Superior Boilerhouse, Mine Street, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-429, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1975
  10. 1 2 Gearhouse, Mine Street across from Calumet High School, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-435, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1975
  11. ↑ General Office, Red Jacket Road at Calumet Avenue, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-434, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1974
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Calumet & Hecla Public Library, 101 Red Jacket Road, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-426, Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1975
  13. ↑ Bathhouse, Calumet Avenue at Depot Street intersection, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-433, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1974
  14. ↑ "Calumet Electronics Growing". Keweenaw Report. November 13, 2020.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Miscowaubik Club, Calumet Avenue, Calumet, Houghton County, MI, HABS MI-276, Kevin Harrington and Wendy Nicholas, Historic American Buildings Survey, 1974.
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