Location: Escanaba, MI - 1891 C&NW Ore Dock #5

Type: Timber

Built: 1891 by the Escanaba, Iron Mountain & Western railroad.

Operated for 54 years, less a 12 year lapse due to collapse.

Collapsed in 1909. Rebuilt in 1910. [EDP-1939-1107]

Owner: Chicago & North Western Railroad

Length: 1,920 feet

Height Above Water: 70 feet

Pockets: 320 pockets

Ended: 1946

Notes

Hand operaterd spout hoists in 1939 [EDP-1939-1107]

Time Line

1891. The new Schlesinger dock at North Escanaba will be 1,392 feet from shore to end and have a land approach of 2,000 feet. It will have 131 pockets capable of holding 37,000 tons and will require 7,000,000 feet of timber to build it. [LDP-1891-0122]

1891. Dock is constructed and begins operation.

1891. Escanaba's new ore docks, begun by the Schlesinger mining interests but now controlled by the Northwestern railroad contains 132 pockets and have a capacity of about 40,000 tons. Between 5,000,000 and 6,000,000 feet of lumber was used in the work. The construction of the docks was delayed through Schlesinger's financial drawbacks. [DD-1891-0627]

1909. June 17. Escanaba ore dock #5 collapses along with 28 loaded ore cars, in a crash which was reported to be heard over a mile away. The dock had been built by Ferdinand Schleisinger as a terminus of his Escanaba, Iron Mountain and Western railroad but was operated by the C&NW. [EDP-1946-0618]

1910. Dock rebuilt and placed back into operation.

1945. Dock is decommissioned.