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Arcadian, Concord, Franklin, Franklin Junior, Hancock, Rhode Island Mines
The Arcadian Mine
An underground copper mine consisting of seven shafts and two adits near Ripley. The original Arcadian Mining Company was organized in 1864, then reorganized as the Arcadian Copper Company in 1898 after the consolidation of the Edwards, Douglas, Concord, Highland, St. Mary's, and Arcadian mines. After it was determined that mineralization was too erratic to make a profit, as well as falling copper prices, the mine closed permanently in 1903. Two more attempts were made at mining in the location in 1909 and 1920, but both were unsuccessful.
source: https://www.mindat.org/loc-8469.html
- Basso, Domenico 1899
- Ciucci, Eliseo 1899
- Holland, Timothy May 9, 1908
- Jalio or Jolka, John 1900
- Palokangas, August 1899
- Roffina, Domenico 1899
- Saarela, Isaac 1902 Douglas Shaft
- Santoni, Ettore 1903
- Somero, John 1899
- Tieva, Isak 1898
The Concord mine
An underground copper mine consisting of two shafts located north of Ripley. The Concord Mining Company was organized in 1864 after 160 acres of land was set off from the Franklin Mining Company. The company was organized by Franklin investors to work a portion of the Arcadian Lode. Two shafts were sunk in 1864 with some success in recovering copper. In 1868, the Concord was consolidated with the nearby Pewabic Mine and worked on tribute until 1874 when the mine was abandoned. In 1879, the Concord was set off from the Pewabic as a separate company & plagued by mismanagement. In 1898, the Concord was absorbed by the Arcadian Copper Company; the original Concord shafts becoming Arcadian Nos. 1 and 2 shafts. The Concord produced over 300 tons of copper during its life. Source: https://www.mindat.org/loc-234914.html
- Morgan, David Nov. 6, 1877
- Morgan, William Aug. 19, 1883
The Franklin Mine
The Franklin Mining Company in Houghton County, Michigan organized in 1857 and worked the Pewabic Lode. The mine consisted of two shafts located directly north of the Pewabic Mine. Negligence in management failed to purchase the land north and west of their property, eventually causing the Franklin Mine to become boxed in by the Quincy Mining Company, which resulted in early exhaustion of its share of the Pewabic Lode in 1880 on its property. In 1894, the company purchased land originally held by the Albany & Boston Mining Company, located about three miles north of the old Franklin Mine and renamed it Franklin Jr. Mine. In 1908, the original mine property was sold to Quincy.
Fatalities at Franklin mine-
- Aho, Juho Oskar 1896
- Allen, George 1896
- Barker, Richard December 30, 1880
- Barkell, Richard 1894
- Bennetts, Alfred December 30, 1880
- Borlace, Joseph 1894
- Carlson (Torvinen), Matt 1913
- Erkkila, Heikki 1901
- Giusti, Arturo 1900
- Giusti, Giuseppe 1903
- Green, Daniel S. 1893
- Green, Dennis S. November 21, 1883
- Hanley, John July 13, 1892
- Hautala, Johan May 17, 1889
- Hicks, Thomas May 4, 1887
- Holland, Dennis Feb 12, 1867
- Hunerbein, Albert July 22, 1894
- Jeffrey, William 1877
- Jewitt, Mathew March 12, 1887
- Kelly, Thomas February 14, 1902
- Laurila, Kustaa February 6, 1888
- Lean, Richard March 28, 1878
- Neil, John Nov. 21, 1883
- Niemi (Korpiniemi), Antti 1901
- Pellegrini, Santi 1902
- Pizza, Giulio June 19, 1908
- Salo, Teofiilus 1912
- Stone, John March 29, 1884
- Tervonen, Matti Jahvetti 1896
- Torvinen, Matt 1913
- Walls, James October 21, 1870
- Wilson, Joseph 1871 Stamp mill
The Franklin Junior Mine
Franklin Junior Mine consisting of five shafts; four in the Pewabic Lode, and one in the Allouez Conglomerate. The Junior mine, opened 1860, as the Albany & Boston, was renamed the Peninsula in 1882, and was bought by the Franklin in 1895. Year 1895, Work was focused solely on the northern extension of the Pewabic Lode and four shafts were driven. By 1900, it was determined that the original Albany & Boston shaft, which was driven into conglomerate, had more potential so the company enlarged the shaft and made it its primary production shaft. Operations continued until 1920, when the mine was closed. Exploration work was done between 1923 and 1931 on the Kearsarge Lode, but results were unsatisfactory. In 1933, the Franklin Mining Company dissolved. Production from the original Franklin Mine and Franklin Jr. amounted to approximately 154 million pounds of refined copper. An estimated 41 deaths occurred at The Franklin Mines.
Fatalities at Franklin Junior-
- Barandish, Steve 1908
- Bray, Thomas Jun. 7, 1905
- Carter, John Jun. 11, 1902
- Hepo-Oja, Matti 1903
- Johnson (Yrjola), Viktor 1907
- Kurenen, Alfred 1904
- Kovitch, Bartholomew 1907
- Luukkonen, Tuomas Mar. 25, 1916
- Morcom, Ernest A. Jan. 30, 1905
- Stephens, Caleb 1898
- Sutinen, Vaino E.
- Webb, William 1903
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Fatalities when known as "Peninsula"
- Bennett, Thomas August 26, 1884
- Godzenski, Adam 1889
- Immonen, Matt August 20, 1892
- Maki, Isak April 11, 1892
The Hancock mine
An underground copper mine consisting of three shafts and is located in the city of Hancock. The Hancock Mining Company was organized in 1859 and worked the Sumner (Pewabic) Lode through three shafts; Shaft No. 1 was approx. 1,000 feet. The other two shafts, the Dupuis and the Hill, were about 200 feet deep. Mining continued until 1872 when the original lease ran out and the mine was sold. In 1873, the Sumner Mining Company was organized and worked the mine until 1880, when it was sold to the Hancock Copper Mining Company. In 1906, the company was reorganized into the Hancock Consolidated Mining Company and work resumed in the No. 1 shaft. Work was also started on a new, larger shaft that would intersect the Pewabic Lode at depth. This shaft bottomed out at 4,100 feet and a crosscut was driven at this depth that intersected with the No. 7 Quincy shaft. All work ceased in 1919. The Hancock Mine produced approximately 17.5 million pounds of refined copper. Other than the shaft openings (which have been covered), nothing remains of this mine.
source: https://www.mindat.org/loc-11735.html
- Dunn, Edward Dec. 10, 1884
- Hongisto, Robert 1908
The Rhode Island Mine
An underground copper mine consisting of three shafts, the deepest was 140 feet and sunk on the Allouez Conglomerate. The "Old" Rhode Island Mining Company was organized in 1860 and worked contemporaneously with the Albany and Boston Mining Company. After no economic mineralization was found, the mine closed in 1865. The copper boom of 1898 respired interest in the mine and the "New" Rhode Island Mining Company was organized in 1899. Work was restarted on the Allouez Conglomerate in the original shafts until 1906 when the mine closed again. In 1910, the Franklin Mining Company took over operations and quickly abandoned the conglomerate in favor of the richer Pewabic lode, which crossed the property. Work continued sporadically until 1920, when the mine was closed for good. The mine piles today yield fine specimens of copper, epidote, and quartz. Recently, some large analcime crystals were discovered.
source: https://www.mindat.org/loc-33322.html
- Finni, John Emil 1899
- Peterson, William 1899