Marquette Iron Range
Posted by: 
S5280ft
N 46° 30.732 W 087° 36.155
16T E 453773 N 5151135
At the northwest corner of Maple and US-41 in Negaunee. Plenty of streetside parking available.
Waymark Code: WMMXH
Location: Michigan, United States
Date Posted: 08/20/2006
Views: 32
The first of the immensely rich Lake Superior iron ore deposits to be discovered and mined were those of the Marquette Iron Range. In 1844, William A. Burt and his surveying party discovered outcroppings of iron ore south of Teal Lake. This area soon became the first and has remained the chief center of the range's mining. In 1847 real production was underway at the Jackson Mine. Operations at the early mines were confined to ores at or close to the surface. Underground mining began after the Civil War when shafts were sunk. A forge built on the Carp River produced iron blooms in 1848. The pioneer furnace at Negaunee, built in 1857-1858, was the first actual blast furnace. Most ore has been shipped out to be smelted. When the Iron Mountain Railroad was built in 1857 ore could be moved easily to Marquette. Here at the pocket docks, the first of which was built in 1857, the ore was loaded aboard ships and carried through the Soo Canal to the growing industrial centers in the East. Copper, gold, silver, and lead have been mined here but in small amounts only, leaving iron supreme.
Historical Name: William A. Burt
Description:
Look for a marker for William A. Burt in Macomb County in lower Michigan.
Parking nearby?: yes
D/T ratings: 
Registered Site #: Michigan Historical Commission Registered Site #35
Historical Date: Not listed
website: Not listed
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