Station: Humboldt, MI

Humboldt was settled on the Escanaba River in Marquette County around 1865 when the Edwards Mine was opened nearby. It was a station on the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic railroad. [MPN]

In addition to mining in the area, Humboldt eventually became the location of a major iron ore processing facility and taconite production plant. The facilities were closed for many years and the railroad tracks pulled up but the area was reborn by the establishment of new ore processing facilities for nickel and other metals in the region. Track was re-laid by the new Mineral Range railroad which now serves the new processing facility.

Photo Info: Top, the Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic railway station in Humboldt, around 1916. [Mark Worrall collection]

Notes

The LS&I's Humboldt Yard, located here, is used to collect iron ore loads from the Republic and Humboldt mines, which are transferred by road trains to Eagle Mills. Switch engine crews are also dispatched from here to serve both mines, usually daily. [LSIOR]

Time Line

1896. Forest fires are raging in the immediate vicinity at Humboldt, a mining village of 200 population, 30 miles west of Marquette. [PHTH-1896-1006]

1918. The DSS&A had an operator at this location during the day. [TRT]