Mine: Shafer Mine, Crystal Falls, MI

Union Mine → Shafer  Mine → Columbia Mine → West Columbia Mine

Operated for about 60 years.

From: 1882

Owned by: Union Iron and Steel Co., then Schafer Iron Co., then Huron Iron Co., then Oliver Iron Mining Co., Corrigan McKinney Steel Co and Republic Steel.

Produced: Iron Ore

Method: Open pit and underground shaft.

Railroad connection: C&NW and MILW to port of Escanaba

Until: 1940s.

Lifetime Production: 126,169?

Notes

The Shafer Mine was located southwest of Crystal Falls in Iron County. Also known early as the Shelden & Schafer mine.

Began life in 1882 as the open-pit Union Mine on the Sheldon and Shafer properties, operated by the Union Iron and Steel Co. Some time later the Schafer Iron Co. took over and sunk shafts in and around the pit. The Huron Iron Co. bought and renamed the mine Columbia in 1893. Subsequent owners were Oliver Iron Mining Co. (1901), Corrigan McKinney Steel Co., and Republic Steel. In 1941 an orebody in the southwest corner of the property was worked as an open pit, and later as a separate underground mine known as the West Columbia. The Columbia and West Columbia were eventually connected to each other and to the New Monongahela (ventilation) and to the Tobin (hoisting). [MINDAT]

The property description is NW Sec. 31, T43-R32W, which is the 160 acres between N46º4'21", N46º4'47", W88º21'24", and W88º22'1".

One of the seven original mines in the Crystal Falls area in 1882.

In 1941 an iron ore body in the southwest corner of the Columbia Mine property was worked as an open pit, and later as a separate underground mine known as the West Columbia. The Columbia and West Columbia were eventually connected to each other and to the New Monongahela (ventilation) and to the Tobin (hoisting). [MINDAT]

Time Line

1887. May. A new ore pocket is being built at the Sheldon & Shafer mine. [DD-1887-0521]

1890. The Shafer (mine) had a ten car train ready to go out Thursday morning but a part of the sand banking of the spur track dropped down during the night and the train could not go over it. The fill was made at once and the cars were sent out yesterday. [DD-1890-0412]

1891. May. J.L. Anderson, a railroad contractor from Iron Mountain, completed the work of extending the Shafer Mine spur track a distance of ½ mile. [DD-1891-0530]

1891. The Shafer mine is now 295 feet deep and is resting at that. The new number 3 shaft near the engine house, is down to the 3rd level, 280 feet and will soon be ready for use. It is a three compartment shaft and has a fifty-foot shaft house. The hoisting power for this shaft is supplied by a new plant of machinery recently purchased from the Morris County Iron Works, Dover, NH and consists of engines with 14x18 inch cylinders and two six foot drums; a new building is just completed for the machinery. The sinking of No. 3 shaft necessitated more track room and a (C&NW) spur on the north side of the open pit between No. 3 and the engine house will be ready for use next week. The new machinery recently put in includes a Barr pump of a capacity of 600 gallons per minute. [DD-1891-0627]