SEPTEMBER TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

 HARD TO BELIEVE...
                  SEPTEMBER ARRIVES

Quincy Smelter Tour
Hancock, MI

Date: September 9^th, 2017

Time: 11 AM to 3 PM

As we head towards fall, don't miss the Copper Country's industrial heritage, with breathtaking views of our mountains on our waterfront location in beautiful Houghton and Hancock. Sponsored by the Quincy Smelter Association

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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.

QUINCY SMELTER TOUR AUGUST 19TH

SUMMER TIME...
AND THE TOURS ARE EASY!

August 19^th, 2017

11:00 AM to 3:00 PM

$5/person, children under 5 and under free

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.

NO TIME FOR A TOUR DURING THE DAY? COME TO THE...

Quincy Smelter Summer EveningTour

Date: July12^th, 2017

Time: 6:00 PM

$5/person, children under 5 free

Summer has arrived in the Keweenaw. Long evenings. Beautiful vistas. A unique opportunity to see an intact early 20^th century copper smelter. We lead you through buildings of the former Quincy Mining Co. where the machinery still stands that turned ore into copper ingots. Tour starts at 6 PM. A former industrial site, we recommend closed footwear.

SUMMER EVENING TOURS

QUINCY SMELTER ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES EVENING TOURS IN JULY AND AUGUST

Watch for announcements of evening tours in the next 2 months. The tours will start at 6 PM. We will be watching weather forecasts for sunny evenings so visitors can enjoy the beauty of sunsets down the Portage Canal as we go through the smelter site.

The fee is $5/person with children 5 and under free. This a former industrial site. We recommend wearing closed footware.

JUNE 24TH QUINCY SMELTER TOUR

COMING THIS SATURDAY!

Event: Quincy Smelter Tour

Date: June 24^th, 2017

Time: 11 AM to 3 PM

$5/person, children under 5 free

Summer arrives this week in the Keweenaw. Time to get in the first tour of the Quincy Smelter this Saturday. A unique opportunity to see an intact early 20^th century copper smelter. We lead you through buildings of the former Quincy Mining Co. where the machinery still stands that turned ore into copper ingots. Tours start on the hour with the last tour at 2 PM. A former industrial site, we recommend closed footwear. 

We look forward to seeing you!

KNHP AC HELPS HISTORIC SITES

GOOD NEWS FOR COPPER COUNTRY HERITAGE SITES

24 Heritage Grants awarded

LOCAL NEWS

KURT HAUGLIE

Staff Writer

khauglie@mininggazette.com

• 
 
• 

Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette The Keweenaw Heritage Center is one of the recipients for the most recent Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission Heritage Grant program. This cycle, 24 grants were awarded for a total of $150,148.

CALUMET — The Keweenaw National Historical Park Advisory Commission’s Heritage Grant program continues to be popular, and 24 grants were awarded this round, according to Scott See.

See, Advisory Commission executive director, said for this round of granting, 31 applications were received for a total request of more than $227,000. The 24 awards totaled $150,148.

The National Park Service through the KNHP began the Heritage Grant program in 2008, and See said the Advisory Commission began it’s granting program two years later. Now, although the NPS still contributes to the program as funds are available, the Advisory Commission runs the program and most of the money comes from the organization. This grant cycle, $135,148 came from the commission, and $15,000 came from the park service.

See said he continues to be impressed with the applications received for the grants.

“The quality of the apps was really good,” he said. “The request was more than we had available. We’ve offered, the last few years, $150,000, and we’ve always gotten requests for more than we were able to offer.”

The purpose of the Heritage Grant program is to provide financial support to businesses, and organizations, which are involved with telling the story of the copper-mining era. However, See said beginning for the current granting cycle, the program became limited to organizations only, because it’s thought that will provide a greater financial impact.

There are 21 Heritage Sites associated with the KNHP, and many of them usually apply for grants, including this cycle, See said.

“Our Heritage Sites were well represented within the recipients,” he said. “We realize there are other organizations out there other than the Heritage Sites that can use our help.”

This is the 10th year for the Heritage Grant program, and See said in that time 217 grants have been made for a total of $1,139, 697.

Since 2010, See said, the Advisory Commission has granted $862,471.

“Seven hundred thousand of that has come from our anonymous donor,” he said. “We’re indebted to that individual in helping make this program a reality.”

See said there is no plan at this time to end the Heritage Grant program.

“Our intention is to continue the program as long as we can find funding to do so,” he said.

http://www.mininggazette.com/news/local-news/2017/05/24-heritage-grants-awarded/

QUINCY MINE GRAFFITI

OUR FELLOW HERITAGE SITE, QUINCY MINE BUILDING  VANDALIZED

http://www.mininggazette.com/news/local-news/2017/05/graffiti-floor-damage-litter-at-quincy-dry-house-building/

Graffiti, floor damage, litter at Quincy dry house building

LOCAL NEWS

KURT HAUGLIE

Staff Writer

khauglie@mininggazette.com

• 
 
• 

Kurt Hauglie/Daily Mining Gazette Tom Wright, Quincy Mine Hoist Association facilities supervisor, looks over some of the trash and graffiti in the organization’s dry house building Thursday. The QMHA is supporting the plan by the Houghton City Council to construct a skate park at the east end of the city because skateboarders are suspected of doing the damage.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP — For Tom Wright, the damage being done at the Quincy No. 8 shaft isn’t being done by bad people, just thoughtless people.

“These are not hoodlums,” he said. “They’re just kids.”

At the dry house on the property owned by the Quincy Mine Hoist Association off U.S. 41 north of the Quincy No. 2 shaft house, Wright said people have been using the flat concrete floor of the building for skateboarding.

Besides making piles of trash in the building, Wright said people have covered most of the walls of the building with graffiti, some of it sexually explicit.

“The graffiti seems to be increasing,” he said.

Although the QMMHA board and employees realize the people doing the damage in the building just want to have fun, Wright — who is the QMHA facilities supervisor — said the building is historic and needs to be protected.

“We need to treat it with respect,” he said.

Wright said the dry house was the place where miners changed their clothing after their shifts in the copper mine.

Besides the graffiti, Wright said it is possible one of the people using the building could get hurt. There is also the possibility of someone causing a fire, whether intentional or not.

The city of Houghton is planning on building a skate park at the waterfront park on the east end of the city. Wright said the QMHA is supporting the effort, which when finished should give skateboarders a safe and legal place to use their skateboards.

It is unknown exactly what will be done with the graffiti on the dry house walls, Wright said. It has to be determined if the paint can be removed without damaging the walls, or if it should just be painted over. There is graffiti scratched onto the walls by the miners, which is considered historic and should be saved.

There used to be a skateboarding course at the Dee Stadium, but Wright said when that closed, use of the dry house increased.

“That’s when we saw an uptick (at the dry house),” he said.

The QMHA board is hoping the public will become involved with the effort to protect the building, and getting the Houghton skate park built is one way to do that, Wright said.

“Quincy would prefer to work with the community,” he said.

Wright said the dry house could be put to use in the future.

“It’s a good, sturdy building,” he said. “Our interest is in preserving this.”

Quincy Smelter Association 

2017 Tour Schedule

The QSA has set the following dates for tours:

June 24^th, 2017

July 22rd, 2017

August 19^th, 2017

September 9th, 2017

October 7th, 2017

All tours are on Saturdays from 11 AM to 3 PM.

Tours start on the hour with the last tour beginning at 2 PM. Each tour lasts approximately an hour.

Since this is a former industrial site, we recommend wearing closed footware, not sandals, flip flops, etc.

Your experienced guide will lead you through the buildings and the grounds to ensure your safety.

We are an all volunteer organization. We give tours because we enjoy sharing the workings of the smelter and hope you will leave with a better understanding of a small part of America's industrial history.

We are able to provide group tours with advance notice.  

Questions: 906-369-3797

We hope to see you this summer in Houghton and Hancock in the beautiful Keweenaw.

Cost: $5.00 per person

Free to children under 10 with accompanying adult

Quincy Smelter Association (Section 501(c)(3) organization) has an agreement with the owner, Advisory Commission of the Keweenaw National Historical Park.  All proceeds from tours fund the Association's expenses and activities