Mine: Homer Mine, Mineral Hills, MI

McGovern, Keweenaw and Minckler Mines → Cardiff Mine → Homer Mine → Homer-Wauseca Group

Operated for 57 years.

From: 1914

Location: W 1/2-NW, NW-SW Sec. 23 of T43N-R35W (Homer); Cardiff Mine, made up of E 1/2-NE (McGovern) and N 1/2 SE and SW-NE Sec. 22 of T43N-R35W (Keweenaw); and NE-SW and W 1/2 NW-SE Sec. 23 of T43N-R35W (Minckler).

Owned by: Buffalo Iron Mining Co.; later M. A. Hanna Iron Ore Co.

Produced: Iron Ore, medium red-brown, high phosphorus.

Method: Underground, worked by sub-stoping method. Depth: 1,310 feet.

Railroad connection: C&NW to ore dock in Escanaba.

Until: 1961

Lifetime Production: 6,921,032 tons between 1915-1950. Continues.

[LSIO-1950]

Photo Info: Top, the Homer River Mine. 2nd photo, a modern version of the complex in the 1950's. [MINARC]

Notes

The Homer Mine was located in Mineral Hills, north of Iron River in Iron County.

The "South Homer" property, immediately to the south is described with the Homer-Wauseca operation. [SMG-1967]

Time Line

1914. Homer mine is opened. [SMG-1967]

1956. Hanna Iron Co. will undertake to sink a new 20 foot diameter circular shaft in Mineral Hills to serve both the Wauseca and Homer mines. This will be a new 2,000 foot deep shaft, equipped with a friction-type hoist to take over for the existing facilities which will become inadequate as mining goes to greater depths. Production through the new shaft will begin sometime in 1960. [EDP-1937-0114]

1961. The Homer mine is closed and the main drifts were bulk-headed off from the Wauseca mine. [SMG-1967]

1965. Listed as an active mine. Owned by the Hanna Iron Ore Division of the National Steel Corporation. [DMP]