James MacNaughton

Last updated
James MacNaughton
James MacNaughton.jpg
James MacNaughton, circa 1901
Born(1864-03-04)March 4, 1864 [1]
DiedMay 27, 1949(1949-05-27) (aged 85)
Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan
Occupation Business executive

James MacNaughton (born March 4, 1864), also variously known as "the King of Houghton County ", the "Czar of the Copper Country " or simply "Big Jim" was an American business executive. He was general manager and the third president of the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, including during the Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914. [1]

Contents

Biography

MacNaughton was born in Bruce Mines, Canada West on March 4, 1864. His father brought his family to Calumet after he found employment with the Calumet & Hecla. In 1876 and aged 12, MacNaughton followed his father's footsteps by becoming Hecla's water boy in Hubbell, Michigan. In time, he progressed to switch tender and then an engineer of the stationary engine on the mine tram road. [2]

After graduating from a high school and receiving a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Michigan, MacNaughton moved to the engineering department. [2]

He was offered to become superintendent of the Chapin Iron mine in Iron Mountain, Michigan and accepted this position. In 1901, Alexander Agassiz hired him to manage the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co. Under MacNaughton's management the company grew and employed 5,000 people in 1906. At the same time, MacNaughton reduced operating costs in half. [2]

During the Copper Country strike of 1913–1914 he organized mine owners and asked Governor Woodbridge N. Ferris to deploy the Michigan National Guard to secure control over mines. MacNaughton received death threats. [3]

When interviewed, MacNaughton blamed the Western Federation of Miners for the strike,

We have Croatians, Austrians, Hungarians, Italians from northern Italy, Poles, and other nationalities working for us, and they are industrious, loyal men; but they do not know our language or our customs, our laws, nor our ideals. They have been influenced by Western Federation of Miners' organizers and hired men who have been here in some cases for years. Constant dropping will wear a stone. [4]

In 1916, MacNaughton distributed bronze, silver and gold service medals designed by Victor David Brenner with images of Quincy Adams Shaw and Alexander Agassiz to long time workers of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co. [5]

In addition to the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, MacNaughton managed 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. [6]

MacNaughton also held a position as the Chairman of the Houghton County Board of Supervisors and became the first chairman of Miscowaubik, a private business club headquartered in Calumet, Michigan. [1]

He died after a long illness on May 26, 1949, in Calumet, Michigan at the age of 85. [7]

Recognition

The MacNaughton Cup was named in his honor in 1913 due to his support of amateur ice hockey. [8] It is awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexander Agassiz</span> American scientist and engineer (1835–1910)

Alexander Emmanuel Rodolphe Agassiz, son of Louis Agassiz and stepson of Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, was an American scientist and engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet, Michigan</span> Village in Michigan, United States

Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the Calumet Downtown Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The village may itself be included within the Calumet Historic District, a larger area which is NRHP-listed and which is a National Historic Landmark District. It is bordered on the north by Calumet Township, on the south by Newtown and Calumet Township, on the east by Blue Jacket and Calumet Township, and on the west by Yellow Jacket and Calumet Township. The population was 621 at the 2020 census. Calumet's nickname is Copper Town U.S.A.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Charter Township, Michigan</span> Charter township in Michigan, United States

Calumet Charter Township is a charter township of Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 6,263 at the 2020 census. Even with a decreasing population, the township remains the largest township by population in Houghton County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ahmeek, Michigan</span> Village in Michigan, United States

Ahmeek is a village in Keweenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located within Allouez Township. The population was 127 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Italian Hall disaster</span> 1913 human crush in Calumet, Michigan, USA

The Italian Hall Disaster was a tragedy that occurred on Wednesday, December 24, 1913, in Calumet, Michigan, United States. Seventy-three men, women, and children – mostly striking mine workers and their families – were crushed to death in a stampede when someone falsely shouted "fire" at a crowded Christmas party.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quincy Mine</span> United States historic place

The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid a dividend to investors every year from 1868 through 1920. The Quincy Mining Company Historic District is a United States National Historic Landmark District; other Quincy Mine properties nearby, including the Quincy Mining Company Stamp Mills, the Quincy Dredge Number Two, and the Quincy Smelter are also historically significant.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keweenaw National Historical Park</span> U.S. national historical park in Michigan

Keweenaw National Historical Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park Service. Established in 1992, the park celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2009, it is a partly privatized park made up of two primary units, the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, and 21 cooperating "Heritage Sites" located on federal, state, and privately owned land in and around the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service owns approximately 1,700 acres (690 ha) in the Calumet and Quincy Units. Units are located in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Houghton County, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Moyer</span>

Charles H. Moyer was an American labor leader and president of the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) from 1902 to 1926. He led the union through the Colorado Labor Wars, was accused of murdering an ex-governor of the state of Idaho, and was shot in the back during a bitter copper mine strike. He also was a leading force in founding the Industrial Workers of the World, although he later denounced the organization.

The Calumet & Hecla Band was a band of the miners of the Calumet mine in Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet and Hecla Mining Company</span>

The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was a major copper-mining company based within Michigan's Copper Country. In the 19th century, the company paid out more than $72 million in shareholder dividends, more than any other mining company in the United States during that period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper mining in Michigan</span> Important industry in the 19th and 20th centuries

In Michigan, copper mining became an important industry in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Its rise marked the start of copper mining as a major industry in the United States. and then

The Copper Country strike of 1913–1914 was a major strike affecting all copper mines in the Copper Country of Michigan. The strike, organized by the Western Federation of Miners, was the first unionized strike within the Copper Country. It was called to achieve goals of shorter work days, higher wages, union recognition, and to maintain family mining groups. The strike lasted just over nine months, including the Italian Hall disaster on Christmas Eve, and ended with the union being effectively driven out of the Keweenaw Peninsula. While unsuccessful, the strike is considered a turning point in the history of the Copper Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Downtown Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

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. Much of the 100 block of 5th street was destroyed in a fire that took place on May 22, 2021

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Historic District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Calumet Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District that encompasses most of the village of Calumet, Michigan. The district was designated in 1989 for the community's importance in the history of the region's copper mining industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet and Hecla Industrial District</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Calumet and Hecla Industrial District is a historic district located in Calumet, Michigan and roughly bounded by Hecla & 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. 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 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kearsarge, Michigan</span> Unincorporated community in Michigan, United States

Kearsarge is an unincorporated community in Calumet Township, Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Calumet/Laurium on U.S. Route 41/M-26 at 47°16′30″N88°24′58″W.

The Osceola Mine was a copper mine consisting of 11 shafts located in Osceola Township, Houghton County, Michigan. In 1895, it was the site of the deadliest mine disaster in the Copper Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Clemenc</span> American labor activist (1888–1956)

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 3 Lehto, Steven. Death's Door: The Truth Behind the Italian Hall Disaster and the Strike of 1913. Momentum Books, 2013.
  2. 1 2 3 Graham Jaehnig. James MacNaughton becomes superintendent of C&H, The Daily Mining Gazette, February 13, 2016
  3. Emily Riippa Schwiebert. Flashback Friday: Strikes, Codes, and Knives, Van Pelt and Opie Library, January 11, 2019
  4. Strike in the copper mining district of Michigan. Letter from the Secretary of Labor, transmitting in response to a Senate resolution of January 29, 1914, a Report in regard to the strike of mine workers in the Michigan copper district which began on July 23, 1913. Washington, D.C.: Govt. Print. Off., 1914, p. 55.
  5. William A. N. Severance. The Calumet & Hecla Mining Company Semi-Centennial Employee Service Medals of 1916: A Personal View, The Mineralogical Record, Axis Volume 13, Number 1, 2017
  6. Stevens, Horace Jared; Weed, Walter Harvey; Neale, Walter Garfield; Rand, Lenox Hawes; Sturgis, Edward Barney; Zimmerman, Joseph (1920). Mines Register: Successor to the Mines Handbook and the Copper Handbook ... Describing the Non-ferrous Metal Mining Companies in the Western Hemisphere, Volume 14. Mines publications, Incorporated.
  7. "James MacNaughton obit with some hint of regret by MacNaughton over strike". The Herald-Palladium. 1949-05-27. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  8. "Gopher hockey history: MacNaughton Cup". gopherhockeyhistory.com. Retrieved 2016-06-22.