Mine: Dober Mine, Iron River, MI

Began → Dober Mine → Became

Operated for

From: 

Owned by: Oliver Mining Company

Produced: Iron Ore

Method: Underground

Railroad connection:

Stamp Mill/Pellet Plant:

Until: 

Lifetime Production: 

Image Info: An old view of the Dober Mine in a postcard view.

Notes

Fire at the Dober Mine (date unknown): At the Dober mine, Stambaugh, Mich., black slate is encountered in large areas underground. For several years fires of supposed spontaneous origin have started in the rock pile on the surface where the slate has been dumped. This seems to be of such common occurrence that it is seldom a fire can not be found in some part of the black-slate dump.

The Dober Mine was located in Iron River in Iron County. It was a part of the Riverton Group Mines. Later Riverton Mine.

Time Line

1899. May. The new shaft at the Dober is down bout 50 feet and is now being carried through slate rock. After the clay and quicksand had passed, work is progressing. It is the intention to carry the shaft down 150 feet and then run a drift to the west to the ore. Then mining will commence. The first train load of ore from this mine was sent to Escanaba last week and two more have been sent during the present week. Before retiring the Mastodon company had made a then thousand ton sale and the ore that is now being handled is to fill that contract. [DD-1899-0506]

1911. The Dober mine is operated by the Oliver Iron Mining Company and located at Stambaugh, Iron County, Michigan. The Dober formation strikes west of south and is nearly vertical. It has a black slate footwall, as have all the other mines of the Iron River area. It is separated from the Isabella ore body adjoining the Dober on the north by a black slate. It is, however, possible that future work will show that the Isabella and Dober formations are really one, and that their present apparent relations are due to folding.

The Dober ore body lies in a formation which is geologically younger than the slates, in which are found the ore bodies at Iron Mountain and east. Like other ore bodies of the Iron River area, the Dober is high in phosphorus. It is difficult to say what part the black slate footwall played in the concentration of ore, but since every mine in the area has black slate, either in foot or hanging wall and sometimes both, it is quite evident that the presence of black slate is almost a necessary condition for a mine in the Iron River area.

There are two shafts in operation at Dober mine: Nos. 1 and 2. No. 2 is incline, has three compartments and is down to a depth of 685 feet. Two four-ton skips are operated in this shaft. The equipment at this point consists of one 18”x48” simple single reversible Corliss hoisting engine, geared to two drums each 8 ft. in diameter with 5 ft. face and one simple duplex Corliss, two stage air compressor, steam 18”x30”, air 28”x18”x30”. No 1 shaft has one compartment only and is down to a depth of 800 feet, equipped with cage for hoisting and lowering men. The cage is also used for hoisting some ore with car. The hoist for operating this cage is described as one 18”x24” simple duplex slide valve reversible engine, geared to one drum 6 ft. in diameter with 6 ft. face. One boiler plant provides steam for equipment at both shafts above described, and consists of three 250 H. P. water tube boilers. [LSMI-1911]