Monday, December 1, 2014



THE ORIGINAL QUINCY SMELTER
172.  Photocopied July 1978, (LGK) VIEW SHOWING CUPOLA BUILDING (LEFT) AND REVERBERATORY FURNACE BUILDING (RIGHT) AT QUINCY SMELTER. C. 1898. - Quincy Mining Company, Hancock, Houghton County, MI


172. Photocopied July 1978, (LGK) VIEW SHOWING CUPOLA BUILDING (LEFT) AND REVERBERATORY FURNACE BUILDING (RIGHT) AT QUINCY SMELTER. C. 1898. - Quincy Mining Company, Hancock, Houghton County, MI

Repository: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print


Winter at the smelter in 1898 looks a lot like winter now in the Keweenaw. This is an early photo.  It shows the coal trestle, part of which the photographer is standing with his back to Portage Canal.  You're looking at the Cupela and Reverberatory buildings.  

What's here? The chimneys of both buildings are as they looked when constructed.  The Cupela chimney is for the blast furnace that was used to remelt slag to recover the last of the copper before being put in the slag pile behind the building.  Slag is almost pure vitrified black glass.

Originally there were 4 reverberatory furnaces in the other building, each having the capacity to produce about 30,000 lbs of copper per charge. Notice the covers over the tops.

Before natural gas became common, coal was used in most factories to heat the boilers for steam to run the machinery.  And, as you can guess, to melt copper ore.  Since there are no coal mines in the UP, it was brought during the six month boating season on the Great Lakes.  Enough coal had to be delivered to last through the winter.  These trestles in the picture were used to move the coal from the boats and dump it on the ground below.  The trestles are long gone.  When you stand in the now empty area, you are in the middle of the canal, looking right at the main span of our bridge.

What's not there?  The Briquette building (1906) and the large wood bins (1907) for holding limestone built between the two structures.  The elevated narrow gauge railroad trestles of the 1920 expansion of the smelter have yet to be raised for connecting those buildings.  

There is a long wood structure next to or attached to the Reverberatory building.  Another wood utility building behind it with what looks like a hand operated crane in the rear.  All long gone.

Then there is the mystery house partially blocked by the Cupela building.  We have heard that the office building next to the highway was moved there, being elsewhere on the site.  No confirmation of this story has been found.  Closer examination of the current office building and the house in the photo is an intriguing element in piecing together the puzzle of the smelter's history.

And in the background at the base of the mountain between the two buildings, there are homes and another trestle.  What kind of business was this?

The picture label above gives the approximate date.   It may have been taken just before the December 1, 1898 start of smelting as construction was in its final stages, based on the materials and equipment on the grounds.  The undarkened timbers of the coal trestle.  The unpainted siding on the wood buildings also provides a clue.  If you go to the Library of Congress website*, clicking on the tiff format allows for a fascinating detailed examination.

To find out more, come see us next summer.

Happy holidays to all!

*http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/mi0086.photos.088981p/

Thursday, November 13, 2014

A Successful Season





 Another successful season for the Quincy Smelter Association.  Every month we had many visitors for each tour day.  

The major event for the association was the change in ownership from the Franklin Township to the Advisory Commission affliliated with the Keweenaw National Historical Park.  The Advisory Commission is the current owner.  When a number of details are cleared up, the smelter will be transferred to the Park Service.   

In the mean time we have an agreement with the Advisory Commission to continue running the tours for the foreseeable future.

We enjoy giving these tours.  Visitors at times can bring information from their past connections with the smelter.  Sometimes former employees.  Sometimes relatives of those employees.  And there are a lot of knowledgeable people who add to our information about the smelter.

We will re-open in June, 2015.  Our schedule has not been set for 2015.  When it is, we will post it here and on our facebook page.  

We hope you enjoy the holidays and the winter snow.  

We look forward to seeing you again next year.




Friday, September 12, 2014

OCTOBER SMELTER TOUR

Photo's By Don Roy


Its come again!  The last tour of the season at the Quincy Smelter.  

Date: October 11, 2014
Time: 11 AM to 3 PM
Cost: $5.00 per person, children under 10 free

Not only do you get to see the last intact copper smelter from America's industrial age, you'll be out near the middle of the Portage Canal, looking up and down the mountains surrounding us at what promises to be the beautiful fall colors of the Keweenaw.

Directions: Go over the bridge between Houghton and Hancock, turn right on to M-26 for 1/4 mile and turn at the sign.

A note about the photographer:
Don Roy was born in Hancock Mi., taking photos for over 50 years around the 
Copper Country. He loves the texture of old abandoned farms and barns, 
bringing his technical skills to bear through finessing colors and creative
composition of his objects.  His life long interest in photography started with a 
four year stint in the U.S. Navy as an aerial photographer.  If you enjoyed this 
photo, contact him at ddonaldjr@att.net.

The Quincy Smelting Works is a former industrial site. While the furnaces no longer produce copper, the buildings and grounds still contain numerous physical hazards. In order to ensure that safest tour possible, we provide hard hats and safety glasses on all tours. We also require that visitors wear closed shoes and follow all tour guide instructions.

The Quincy Smelting Works is owned by the Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission. The Quincy Smelter Association, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, provides tours to the public through an agreement with the Advisory Commission.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

September Smelter Tour

Remains of the Quincy Copper Smelting Complex on Portage Lake.
NPS Photo, Dan Johnson

Get a different view of our smelter.  Take a tour in September

TOUR INFORMATION

September 6th, 2014
11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
$5/person, children under 10 free, AAA discount


The Quincy Smelter Association hosts tours monthly so visitors such as yourself can see the only intact copper smelter from the American Industrial Revolution around the turn of the 20th Century. See much of the original machinery used to turn ore into copper ingots. Not only can you see the original equipment from the smelter's construction in 1898. But our guides will point out the major changes in the Great Expansion of 1920. We look forward to showing this and much more.


Since much of the tour is spent in the buildings, this is a great event even on rainy days.


Directions: Turn right after crossing the bridge on to M-26, go 1/4 mile to the sign on the right.


The smelter is a former industrial site. We recommend wearing closed shoes for your safety.


For a full listing of our tour dates for 2014, see the previous post for June at http://quincysmelterassociation.blogspot.com/

Friday, July 25, 2014

AUGUST SMELTER TOUR


THE OTHER CANAL RUN


Here is an undated photo of Michigan Tech campus and the Quincy Smelter. 
Can you tell when this was taken?
Make a run to the other side of the Portage Canal to see the Quincy Smelter. 
You'll love it!

Date: August 9th, 2014
When: 11:00 AM  to 3:00 PM
Cost: $5/person, children under 10 free
Tours start on the hour
Where: Go over the bridge towards Hancock, turn right on to M-26 for 1/4 mile to the sign

On August 9th Quincy Smelter Association sponsors its tour of our facility from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM during Alumni Weekend.  We invite the public and all alumni to partake of this activity during the height of the summer season

Not only do you get to see the smelter, you also get a great view of the campus.

NEWS FLASH!!!!
Blacksmithing demonstration by Michigan Tech students. 

Since much of the tour is spent in the buildings, this is a great event on rainy days.

For a full listing of our tour dates for 2014, see a previous post on this site.
The smelter is a former industrial site.  We recommend wearing closed shoes for your safety. 

The Quincy Smelter Association is a non-profit organization authorized to give tours by the owner,  Franklin Township.
























Sunday, June 29, 2014

JULY 19TH TOUR



These guys are waiting to show you their stuff
(Courtesy of Michigan Technological University Archives)














We're ready to guide you through our next tour day at the smelter.  


July 19th, 2014
11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

The Quincy Smelter Association hosts tours monthly so visitors such as yourself can see the only intact copper smelter from the American Industrial Revolution around the turn of the 20th Century.  See much of the original machinery used to turn ore into copper ingots.  Not only can you see the original equipment from the smelter's construction in 1898. But our guides will point out the major changes  in the Great Expansion of 1920.  We look forward to showing this and much more.

Since much of the tour is spent in the buildings, this is a great event even on rainy days.

Directions: Turn right after crossing the bridge on to M-26, go 1/4 mile to the sign on the right.

The smelter is a former industrial site.  We recommend wearing closed shoes for your safety.

For a full listing of our tour dates for 2014, see the previous post on this site.

The Quincy Smelter Association is a non-profit organization authorized to give tours by the owner,  Franklin Township.

Sunday, June 1, 2014

2014 TOUR SCHEDULE



Its Spring!

The Quincy Smelter Association is happy to announce its tour schedule for this year.  


We look forward to showing visitors such as yourself a prominent part of the heritage of Keweenaw's copper industry.  


See an intact copper smelter with our guides taking you through many of the buildings that makes up this facility.  See the huge furnace where 50,000 pounds of copper ore was melted.  A large circular casting machine.  Pumps and more pumps!  And much more.


June 21, 2014


July 19, 2014


August 9, 2014


September 6, 2014


October 11, 2014


Unless otherwise noted, tours are from 11 AM to 3 PM on the designated Saturdays.


We recommend visitors wear closed shoes and avoid sandals or other open and loose fitting foot wear.


Our tours are approximately one hour long.



As part of our fundraising efforts, we have high quality T-shirts for sale.  One is a sharp dark blue with white lettering with the neat Quincy Smelter logo.  The other shirt is a light tan with a vintage photo of the smelter plus lettering.  Come on a tour and leave well dressed!

Quincy Smelter Association is a private, non-profit organization.  The Quincy Smelter is owned by Franklin Township.  The township has given the QSA permission to conduct tours.  QSA has no affiliation with any governmental organization.

Quincy Smelter Association can conduct tours for private groups provided we have sufficient notice and volunteers available.

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

SPRING, 1915

Here it is.    

          
                       The beginning of April. 


Why don't you follow along as the superintendent of the Quincy Smelter Works, Alexander Laist, describes the Spring of 1915 from his perspective right on the Portage Canal in Houghton and Hancock, Michigan 


While going through the Michigan Technological University Archives, there are reports from the superintendent of the Smelter about its weekly activities.  The letters went  to the president of the Quincy  Mining Company at its New York headquarters.


“The official ice reports have begun to come. The compiler says “In comparison with the same period last year there is more ice over western Superior and less over the central and eastern portions, and less in all of the other lakes.” At Portage the ice seems to be going rather earlier than usual.” March 15, 1915


Scene: Across the lake toward Quincy
J.T. Reeder, photographer
Date: February 26, 1921

In March and April, 1915, Alexander Laist in his weekly letters to president W.R. Todd were peppered with comments about the weather and lake ice conditions in the Keweenaw.  


“Weather conditions for the opening of navigation at the usual time seem to be favorable. The temperature at the Portage was a little lower during the past week than previously although there was quite a considerable thaw.” March 22, 1915

After a long ice-locked winter, it was important to get the copper shipped out as early as possible to manufacturers in Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Chicago, Buffalo as well as cities on the eastern seaboard.



“Weather was more severe during the past week at Portage. There were high winds with temperature down to 15...” March 29, 1915

So when the ice went out was closely monitored.  

“The temperature was below freezing at the Portage during most of the week.” April 5, 1915


The three major shippers--Mutual, Anchor and Western--notified mining companies when the first boats were scheduled to dock at Houghton, Hancock or the docks in Torch Lake.


“Weather at the Portage was mild during the past week. Ice has practically disappeared from the lake opposite the two towns though it is probably quite thick yet at Big Portage and at the Canal." April 12, 1915


Mr. Laist was notified the first steamers were scheduled to be at the Keweenaw, coming east from Duluth, by April 27th. 

“The weather at the Portage was warm during the past few days. Yesterday the thermometer stood at 70 degrees; it is the same today.” April 19, 1915

Laist cautioned the Quincy Mining president that these arrivals was subject to the vagaries of the weather.  

In his next report, Laist says the steamers had come in before April 26th.


Another Spring in the Keweenaw!



























Wednesday, March 5, 2014

QUINCY SMELTER ASSOCIATION 

MARCH MEETING

DATE: March 20, 2014
TIME:  6:00 PM
LOCATION: Franklin Township Hall
                     48991 Maple St.
                     Ripley, MI
DIRECTIONS: 1/4 mile east from Portage Bridge in old Quincy Smelter office

The public is invited.

Hello everyone,

Even though we're closed and there's tons of snow, its been a busy time for the Association.  We're hoping to post more blogs in the near future.  If you haven't tried the links at the top, you'll find some very interesting material not only on the Quincy Smelter, but our whole Copper Country heritage.  Its fascinating!

Come back when we post our 2014 tour schedule.   We also post our tours among others on the calendars of the Keweenaw Convention & Visitor Bureau, Whats UP, Marquette TV stations, Marquette Monthly and Tech Today.  

Its always exciting for us to provide visitors an opportunity to see how our ancestors turned rock into copper ingots.