Sketch Of The Great Gogebic Range

By L.P.M. Buck (1903)

High before them “rose the forest,
Rose the black and gloomy pine trees,
Rose the firs with cones upon them,
Bright before them beat the water,
Beat the clear and sunny water,
Beat the shining Big Sea Water.”

When the hardy and picturesque voyagers who daringly ventured sail in early days, along the South shore of the “Great Unsalted Sea,” and viewed the uprising hills of New France, crowned with “their forests primeval,” who among them could have dreamed that beneath their sheltering foliage lay stored the wealth of a Creosus. Seeking for furs they flaunted fortune, never dreaming she lay in wait so near them.

Paddling along, themselves and their great canoes gay with color, ofttimes in the shadows where up and down the shore

“Rolled billowy lines of hills now dark, now green,
Each after each in softening slopes that rose”
In the far distance to the horizon’s brim.
“And when the sunlit rays grew long across
The trees and streams, and the suns radiant self
Dropt’ swift and bright behind the farthest hill
Then was the silence broken.”

By chanson or merry hunter, but the Spirit of the Waters or the forest whispered not to them their secrets.

It remained for the brave and adventurous of later days – when in the course of events New France was no more and Michigan had became a state “full fledged” and growing, to discover and develop the treasures hidden for ages in the mystery of the hills.

In a report on the geological survey of Michigan, early in the 70’s attention was first directed toward the locality now known world wide as “The Great Gogebic Range.” A continuous chain of forest grown rock ribbed hills almost mountainous in size running a distance of fifty miles – from Lake Agogebic in Michigan, on the east, to the Bad River in Wisconsin on the west.

At that time Ontonagon County embraced the whole western end of the Upper Peninsula; its county seat, the village of Ontonagan, located in the Northeastern part of the county directly on the shore of Lake Superior. At that time very little was known of this locality – and very vague ideas were entertained of the Upper Peninsula in general, it being the prevalent opinion that the climate was too cold and the country too bleak and barren for a habitable land.

Later geological surveys confirmed the first report, that rich deposits of iron ore were only awaiting development. A few adventurous ones were even on the ground – and though there have been many claimants as first discoverers, it is now popularly credited to one, who poor and aged is living the life of a hermit somewhere on the north shore of Lake Gogebic. Let that be as it may, the fact remains that but few who bore the brunt of the hardships attendant upon those early days of discovery, have reaped the benefit of their labors.

In 1879 a tract of land was located for the “Lake Superior Ship Canal, Railway and Iron Company” on which iron ore was quickly found, and nearly all the later discoveries of ore have been found on or near the line of this tract. Discovery was quickly followed by development. As a rule it has been those who profiting by the knowledge gained from others and who were able to bring about development, who have reaped financial benefit. Many of those who should have profited, aired their knowledge to others who were shrewd enough to value what they had gained and hold to it. Excitement grew as new explorations and developments proved successful and people rapidly came flocking in.

In October, 1884, the Milwaukee Lake Shore & Western Railway entered the southeastern corner of the county, and at the close of the year trains were running into Ironwood, then a mere hamlet in the wilderness, with a few shacks for dwellings and foot paths leading to and from. On the advent of the railroad a floodtide of emigration set in, and soon the lonely wild was transformed into a scene of the liveliest activity. Towns sprang up like magic and where once had been heard only the call of the wild creatures of the forest, there rang out the whistle and whirr of engine and mill, and the voices of myriads of men. From the Colby mine where explorations first began, other explorations extended, until the entire range became almost a continuous chain of operations.

It was not long before the infant towns of Wakefield, Bessemer, Ironwood and Hurley were “en rampant” and in less than ten years Ironwood alone was credited with a population of 15000 people. When it had became an assured fact that the supply of ore was seemingly inexhaustible – and the town safely established; with the rapid influx of people and consequent increase of county business it was found impossible to get along with the county seat so distant and inaccessible, particularly during the winger months. It was decided to call a meeting to arrange for a division of the county, which was amicably effected June 4, 1886, with but one opposing vote. From the old Indian name Agogebic, the A was dropped and the name Gogebic given the new county. A bill was drafted, presented to the legislature and February 2, 1887, it passed both houses and was put into immediate effect. Both Ironwood and Bessemer being anxious to secure the county seat a hot contest ensued in which Bessemer won, and a fine new court house and jail, built of Lake Superior brownstone were in due time erected.

It might be mentioned here that the eastern portion of Ashland County also, for the same good reasons desiring to form a new county, were not so fortunate in bringing about the desired result, the western part so bitterly opposing it that the bill for that purpose presented to the Wisconsin Legislature was defeated for a time. It has since then, however, been accomplished and the new county of Iron formed, with Hurley as the county seat.

Although Wakefield, Bessemer, Ironwood and Hurley started with seemingly equal chances, Ironwood rapidly became the leading town of the range and in 1889 became an incorporated city. When we consider that less than two decades ago, where Ironwood now stands was an unbroken wilderness it seems marvelous indeed that it could have in so short a period attained to the conservative and substantial position it now holds. It has passed through speculative frenzies and hard times and on the 17th of September, 1887, was swept by a disastrous fire – leveling nearly all of the business part of the city, yet it has steadily advance to its present importance. It has always been unique, original and prodigiously enterprising.

Handsome business blocks, some of them built of the beautiful and enduring Lake Superior brownstone – utilized for the finest buildings in all the northwestern cities – a handsome city hall of brick and brownstone combined, a large new three story high school built of stone, a three story central or grammar school, a handsome new building for a dramatic science school, a fine kindergarten building and five large two story ward schools, complete the list. All of these schools are well equipped with necessary apparatus – and have fine grounds – a number possess pianos, and numerous copies of works of art in painting and sculpture adorn the schoolrooms and halls.

Of church buildings, the Methodist, Presbyterian and Episcopal embrace the English speaking audiences; two Catholic, one Polish, the other combining the French, Irish, American and German population, Swedish Mission, Swedish Lutheran, Methodist and Baptist, with two or three Finnish churches for the Scandinavian and one German Lutheran.

Ironwood has a splendid electric light plant, utilized in all the business houses, offices, streets, the mines, above and below the surface, and all of the best houses of the city. It also furnishes power for a finely equipped street car line which connects the two cities of Ironwood and Hurley. A fine sewerage and water service, fire alarm and telephone systems, have long been at the service of the people. A Carnegie Library well equipped with books, and the leading magazines is last but not least on the list.

In a town affording all these facilities, can always be found fine houses, which Ironwood does not lack, and can also count a more than average number of very pleasant ones. Many handsome new residences have been built during the past three or four years and old ones improved, until the once crude and rudely built town is rapidly becoming attractive.

The rapid growth of Ironwood is owing partly to its superior location, but principally to the fact that the largest and best producing mines are located within the city limits or in close proximity to it. For that reason it gives an immense business to the two railroads – the Northwestern – formerly the Milwaukee Lake Shore and Western and the Wisconsin Central, which found its way onto the Range soon after the Lake Shore. They transport all the ore from the Range to the great ore docks at Ashland, where it is shipped to outside markets. The Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad runs close by and has stations four and a half miles north of Ironwood and two miles north of Bessemer. Connection is made with it also by way of the “Scoot” the regular Range train of the Northwestern road at Saxon, giving a direct route to Marquette, the Soo and all eastern and southern points, as well as Duluth, St. Paul, Minneapolis and West. The two roads first mentioned give daily and regular communication with Chicago, Milwaukee and other points South, and from Ashland through to the Pacific Coast. The Range people have always appreciated the splendid service these roads have afforded them in the past.

Ironwood is large, embracing within its chartered limits, the city proper, the outlying suburban towns of Jessieville and Monticello and the “locations” of the “Big Norrie,” “East Norrie,” “Aurora,” “Newport” and “Ashland” mines, each location a village of itself, made up of miners’ homes and stores. Jessieville has a church and numerous stores and is the site of the “Newport” mine.

Bessemer being the county seat is closely identified with Ironwood and its history largely identical. It is prettily situated in a valley seven miles east of Ironwood and has a number of churches, a handsome new High school building, electric light plant, water service and sewerage. Pleasant homes abound and the streets are broad and well kept. The great “Colby” mine is located here, the first one to be developed on the Range, and where the ore lay so near the surface it was discovered without the aid of pick or shovel. The “Colby” and the “Ironton” are now the properties of the Corrigan & McKinney Company. The “Jackpot” is the property of the Jones & Laughlin Steel Company, and the “Yale” is operated by the Ashland Iron & Steel Company. These mines are all located at Bessemer and are good producers of fine grade ore.

Wakefield, at first thought to be the most promising of the Range towns, has a fine school building, three churches and a few business buildings. It is prettily situated on the South side of Sunday Lake, a lovely sheet of water nearly two miles long. The mines at Wakefield are the “Brotherton” the property of the Brotherton Iron Mining Company, the “Sunday Lake,” owned by the Sunday Lake Mining Company, the “Pike,” the property of the Pike Iron Mining Company, the “Comet Mine” operated by the Castile Mining Company and the “Mikado,” the property of the Verona Mining Company.

At Ironwood, the Oliver Mining Company’s properties comprise the “Big Norrie,” “East Norrie,” the “Aurora,” and “Pabst,” all within the city limits, the “Puritan,” a producing mine at which improvements are being made, situated east of town, “The Tilden,” at Bessemer, the “Chicago,” at Wakefield and the “Atlantic,” at Iron Belt, ten miles west of Ironwood. This company also owns the “Geneva,” “Royal” and “Section 13,” all new explorations, which bid fair to become good producing mines. The Newport Mining Company own The “Newport,” located in Ironwood and the “Palms” and “Anvil,” in Bessemer – all producing mines. The “Ashland” mine, also located inside Ironwood city limits is the only producing mine owned by the Cleveland Cliffs Company on this Range, but they have large holdings elsewhere. The “Germania Mine,” at Hurley, is the property of Pickands, Mather & Company. The “Cary” and “Windsor,” at Gile, are properties of the Verona Mining Company, the “Ottawa,” also at Gile and the “Montreal” further west, are both the property of the Montreal Mining Company.

Hurley is romantically situated; nestled among the hills, which, rolling away in the blue distance until they skirt the borders of the great Lake Superior, form a wildly beautiful and picturesque landscape. Separated from Ironwood only by the rust red waters of the “raging Montreal,” and connected by the street car line – they are locally termed the “Twin Cities.” It has a fine brownstone court house, a handsome new brick high school, several churches and numerous pretty residences. It has also a fine hotel, built in the early day at great expense. The Range hotels have always been popular with the traveling public.

The Scott & Howe Lumber Company are also located in Ironwood, on the east branch of the Montreal River; Cary, Gile and the Montreal mines are simply locations, although at Gile is located the big mill of the Montreal River Lumber Company, which handles the logs run down the west branch of the Montreal River. Iron Belt is ten miles due west from Hurley and has a fine new church and school house, several business houses and is the location of the “Atlantic” mine.

While the mining interests are the cause and support of the Range towns, should they fail for lack of ore, the farms being rapidly developed all through this and adjoining counties, would in time sustain the towns. A county fair has been held here a number of seasons and the farm exhibits on display have astonished all who had thought it impossible to raise crops in this part of the country. Hay, oats, potatoes and all common vegetables and hardy fruits and flowers grow well and make feasible the opening up of fine farms. A large number of the Scandinavians and Finns are leaving the mines for farms and a few years will note a great change in the aspect of the country inconsequence. The Montreal, the Black and Presque Isle Rivers in Michigan, and the Bad River in Wisconsin while little known abroad, are locally known to possess features picturesque in the extreme – all running toward the great lake, nearly two thousand feet below their source, the falls of varying height and the tumultuous rapids along their course, are visited often by lovers of the beautiful in nature, that their wild charm may be captured by camera and brush. The lakes of the Range country are remarkable for their picturesque beauty. Gogebic, the largest of them all, forming one of the chain of lakes which reaching down into Wisconsin number many hundreds and most of them so connected by water-ways or thoroughfares as they are locally termed, that they afford the fines opportunity for boating imaginable; the finest game fish abound in these waters and they are rapidly attracting people from the large cities who are making summer homes along their shores. Game is abundant in the woods also and affords fine sport when the season is open.

Were it possible to enter into detailed history of the Great Range it would take volumes, so much of romance and of tragedy has been enacted, and so much of the practical achievements of men combined with the marvelous revelations, of the long hidden secrets of old Mother Earth. 3,663,484 tons of ore is said to be the output of the Range mines for 1902. What does that mean? The product of how many men’s daily toil and the sacrifice of how many lives? What enormous expense to produce, and what magnificent returns.