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The Mohawk Mining Company was a major copper mining company, based in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, that was established in November 1898 and lasted until 1932. The company, between 1906 and 1932, paid out more than $15 million in shareholder dividends.

History

Establishment

The company was established in November 1898, after Joseph E. Gay had discovered copper on the property earlier that year. When established, John Stanton was president. Stocks were offered at a price $7.50, and by the end of 1899 there were 594 individual stockholders. In 1899, construction on the property began, after the company had raised $7,517.50. Shafts No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 were dug. Each shaft was three compartment with two skiproads and a pipe-leader compartment. Shaft No. 2 had an 8 drill air compressor and No. 3 had a 25 drill air compressor. A fourth shaft was constructed in 1901.

Early Years

In January 1900, a fissure vein of copper ore was cut on the first level of Shaft No. 1. This ore was a previously unknown type of rock and samples were sent to Dr. George A. Koenig of the Michigan College of Mines. Dr. Koenig named the rock Mohawkite to honor the mine where it had been found.

In the year 1900, the Mohawk Mining Company purchased the Hebard Stone Quarry, the dock on Traverse Bay, and the narrow gage railroad connecting the dock and the quarry. The railway was extended from the quarry to the mine. The dock was extended 300 feet into the bay and was reinforced with heavy crib-work, so that it could be used for shipping ore and receiving supplies by boat. In 1902, the Mohawk and Traverse Bay Railroad was widened to regular gage.

The Mohawk stamp mill began construction in 1901 and started operation in December 1902. The foundation, for the 178 by 206 foot building, was made of sandstone from the Hebard Quarry. The mills equipment included three sets of stamps and three sets of auxiliary crushing rolls. The stamps each had a capacity of 500 tons daily. The Town of Gay was built near the mill and was named Gay to honor Joseph E. Gay.

The No. 5 shaft was started in 1904, and Shafts No. 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists. In 1906, a power plant was built at the mine, it was located between the No. 1 and No. 2 shafts. In January, 1906, the first dividend of $2.00 per share was paid, and in July the second dividend of $3.00 per share was paid.

On February 23, 1906, Mr. John Stanton, President of the company, died. Joseph E. Gay replaced him as President.

In the year 1909, the company had employed 1000 men. The Mohawk mine was producing more copper than any other mine in the Keweenaw County and was the only mine paying dividends. By 1910, a sixth shaft was dug on the property.

Strike of 1913-1914

On July 23, 1913, the mine was closed due to the strike of the miners. During the strike many workers and their families left the area. The mine had 686 men employed before the strike, and after the strike was settled only 102 men returned on January 16, 1914. By February 20 400 men had returned. The Mine would not be back in full operation until May, with 711 men employed.

Growth of the Mine

In March 1910, a small piece of property was obtained from the Ahmeek Mining Company. This would allow the No. 3 shaft to reach a maximum depth of 2,800 feet, instead of the previous limit of 1,600 feet, which is due to the 36 degree angle at which the shaft was created. In 1923, the Mohawk Mining Company absorbed the Wolverine Mining Company and the Michigan Copper Company. In 1929, the Company took over the Mass Consolidated Mining Company, which was a combination of the Old Ridge, Evergreen, Mass, Ogima, Merrimac, Hazzard, and Flint Steel Mining Companies.

Town of Mohawk

The town of Mohawk formed near the mine. In the beginning, the town had a blacksmith shop (owned by Thomas Parks), the Petermann Store (A carpentry shop, est. 1899), and a Church built by Norwegians. The church was sold in 1907 to Catholic Missionaries and became St. Mary's Church. Another church, known as the Mohawk Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1905. A bank, known as The Mohawk Bank, opened in 1907 with a capital stock of $25,000. Interest on money deposited in the Mohawk Bank was 3% per year. In 1913, the blacksmith shop was sold to Mr. Bert Jewell.

Officers

Shafts

All shafts were dug at an angle of 36 degrees from the vertical.

Mohawk No. 1

No. 1 shaft was constructed in 1899 as one of the three original shafts on the property. This shaft is were Mohawkite was first found in 1900. In 1902, it was sunk down to the 8 level, with a depth of 800 feet. In 1904 shafts No. 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists, which would be good up to 6000 feet. In 1906, the No. 1 shaft had reached a depth of 1,400 feet. In 1908, it reached a depth of 1,700 feet. In 1914, the No. 1 shaft was producing 300 tons of ore per day. By 1916, the No. 1 shaft had reached a depth of 2,693 feet and had exhausted the ore deposits, which caused work in the shaft to be discontinued. In 1918 the value of copper increased, which provided extra money to resume mining in the No. 1 shaft. The shaft was mined until June 1922 because the copper content was only 4 to 5 pounds of copper per ton of rock. When the shaft closed it had reached a depth of 2,896 feet on the 26 level. In 1926 the shaft was reopened with the No. 4 shaft to supply the mill with ore. The shaft had reached a depth of 3,017 feet. The shaft would stay open until the mine closed in 1932.

Mohawk No. 2

No. 2 shaft was constructed in 1899 as one of the three original shafts on the property. In 1902, it was sunk 114 feet to the 7 level, with a depth of 700 feet. In 1904 shafts No. 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists, which would be good up to 6000 feet. In 1906, the No. 2 shaft had reached a depth of 1,300 feet. In 1908, it reached a depth of 1,575 feet. In 1914, the No. 2 shaft was producing between 450 and 500 tons of ore per day. The No. 2 shaft was closed some time between 1914 and 1924.

Mohawk No. 3

No. 3 shaft was constructed in 1899 as one of the three original shafts on the property, with a depth of about 472.5 feet. In 1901 it was sunk 195 feet to reach a depth of 667.5 feet. In 1906, the No. 3 shaft had reached a depth of 950 feet. In 1908, it reached a depth of 1,225 feet. In March 1910, a small piece of property was obtained from the Ahmeek Mining Company. This would allow the No. 3 shaft to reach a maximum depth of 2,800 feet, instead of the previous limit of 1,600 feet, which is due to the angle at which the shaft was created. In February 1914 the No. 3 shaft was abandoned.

Mohawk No. 4

No. 4 shaft was constructed in 1901, with a depth of about 200 feet and was sunk, the same year, 301 feet to reach a depth of 501 feet. In 1904 shafts No. 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists, which would be good up to 6000 feet. In 1906, the No. 4 shaft had reached a depth of 900 feet. In 1908, it reached a depth of 1,175 feet. In 1914, the No. 4 shaft was producing between 450 and 500 tons of ore per day. In 1922 the No. 4 shaft had reached a depth of 2,832 feet and the boundary of the property, mining continued in the No. 4 shaft until 1924. In 1926 the shaft was reopened with the No. 1 shaft to supply the mill with ore. The shaft had reached a depth of 2,832 feet. The shaft would stay open until the mine closed in 1932.

Mohawk No. 5

No. 5 shaft was constructed in 1904 because the area was rich with good ore. In 1906, the No. 5 shaft had reached a depth of 300 feet. In 1908, it reached a depth of 575 feet, and was equipped with the Bullock Hoist that was moved from The Wolverine No. 4 shaft. In 1914, the No. 5 shaft was producing between 450 and 500 tons of ore per day. The same year, a new shaft house, which included a concrete collar around the shaft, was build for the No. 5 shaft. The shaft was closed on November 4, 1922, it had reached a depth of 1,874 feet on the 21 level.

Mohawk No. 6

In January 1910, the No. 6 shaft cut a seem of copper 210 feet below the surface. In 1914, the No. 6 shaft was producing 300 tons of ore per day. In 1916 two fissure veins were found in the No. 6 shaft. The first vein was between the 7 and the 11 levels and the second vein was between the 7 and 8 levels. The veins produced 574,600 pounds of copper in 1917. By 1924 The No. 6 shaft was the only shaft being mined until 1926 when the No. 1 and 4 shafts were reopened. However in 1925, the shaft developed a problem from water seepage on the 24 level, which led to the construction of a pumping station. In 1926, the shaft had reached a depth of 2,504 feet. The shaft would stay open until the mine closed in 1932.

Copper production

Copper production by year for the Mohawk Mine.

- Indicates no record or no production
* Indicates estimated amount

Dividend Record

Amount of USD paid as dividends by year for the Mohawk Mine

- Indicates no record or no dividends paid

References

• Clarke, Don (1978). Copper Mines of Keweenaw No.12 Mohawk Mining Company.

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