Station: Connorville, MI - Connorville Land & Lumber Company

Connorville, in Gogebic County, was a forest town owned by the Connor Land & Lumber Company. They built a logging camp here in 1925 and a mill in 1935. The location is five miles north of Wakefield and was accessed by a Chicago & Northwestern forest branch which left C&NW's main line near Sunday Lake. It was located in section 15 of T45W-R44N. [USGS-1955]

Notes

Time Line

1926. October. The Conor Lumber Co. is employing between 200 and 250 in its woods operations north of Wakefield. The men are employed in all kinds of logging operations. Much timber is being cut, decked and loaded for shipment to the company's mills in Wisconsin or to the Ford mills at Iron Mountain. A new Erie steam shovel is on the job preparing a road bed for several miles of new logging road to be laid this fall. It has approximately 20 miles of logging at the present time on the logging company railroad, in addition to several miles of track constructed by the C&NW from this city to Connorville, the junction and shipping point of the timber and logs. [WAK-1926-1002]

1970. October. The Connor Lumber & Land Company is considering removing their operations out of Wakefield Township. A meeting is requested by the township with the company and the Soo Line railroad to discuss their plans. [WAK-1970-1008]

1970. The Gogebic County Board of Commissioners notes that the Connor Lumber & Land Company is considering moving its sawmill operation from the Wakefield area to a location in the middle or eastern part of the upper peninsula, which would affect the employment of 150 people. The sawmill has been operating for 35 years. Gordon R. Connor representing the firm said they have looked at several locations which would be more advantageous and economical to operate a sawmill. In the current location, they have the cost of operating their own railroad, cost of shipping lumber during spring months because of weight restrictions on M-28, cost of producing their own power and providing their own water system and fire protection. These extra costs total about $132,000 per year.

The Soo Line railroad also explained that they have been short on equipment (cars) and did not see any immediate relief in getting more equipment. However at the present time he had enough gondolas to supply Connor operations in Wakefield Township, but he could not promise that this would be the case throughout the year.

The Lake Superior Power Company stated that in order to provide adequate power to the sawmill it would be necessary to run a 3-phase power line which would cost $100,000. They would be willing to enter into a 5-year contract with the company before proceeding. The County agreed to make M-28 an all-weather highway. [WAK-1970-1105]