Mines: Crystal Falls, MI - Area Mines

This page covers mines in or near Crystal Falls, Mansfield, Amasa, and Alpha.

To view individual mine pages, go to History → Mines and Mining → Iron Mines → Iron County

Notes

Time Line

1901. March. There is much speculation among mining men as to the transportation of iron ore under the new regime (now that the Milwaukee Road has built into Crystal Falls). The C&NW, a Vanderbilt organization, has had the lion's share of the business of the Oliver Mining company in the past. The St. Paul road is known to be a Morgan system and with the firm of J.P. Morgan & Company at the head of 90% of the ore mining companies of the Menominee range it is but natural that much of the ore hauling business of their mining interests that has in the past gone to the North-Western will be diverted to the St. Paul. In fact, a St. Paul official is known to have made the statement some time ago that his system will haul 1 million tons of ore next season.

Some go so far as to assert that the move for peace in the steel manufacturing business was likewise a move for peace in the ore hauling business. The Milwaukee road needs the ore business to take the place of her waning log business on the Superior division. To get it she must displace the North-Western and without a lever to bring it about, that is not any easy thing to do for the North-Western is a well managed system. [DD=1901-0319]

1919. April. Ore trains are running again from the Crystal Falls district. The St. Paul has a train or two serving the mines, but the movement is not yet general. Two Crystal Falls mines are sending out ore, the Carpenter and the Odgers. The ore being stored in the docks at Escanaba until the arrival of boats.

It is understood that all ore will be apportioned out this year in much the same manner as last when the entire Crystal Falls product north of Alpha was given to the St. Paul and the North Western took the lion's share of the ore from the west side (Iron River) district.

The policy of the (United States) railroad administration (which still controls the railroads following World War I) is to let the road which can handle the product the cheapest have the output.

The St. Paul can handle ore from most of the Crystal Falls mines cheaper than the North Western and so it gets the ore. The mines at Alpha are served only by the North Western road so those properties ship their product ovr the C&NW system. [DD-1919-0419]

It is the tendency to run "turn-around" runs on both roads so that it is not probable that the mining towns will catch many of the road crews this coming summer. the switch crews will be stationed in the yards at the different laces as usual. [DD-1919-0419]