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.

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.

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.

SYMPOSIUMS OF THE KEWEENAW 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!

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.  

THE HELP CREWS (3)

 KEWEENAW NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK

The Quincy Smelter has been fortunate that it counts the National Park Service as one of it's friends.

Although the Quincy Smelter is owned by Franklin Township, we are within the boundaries established by Congress for this park. By that fact, the township is eligible to receive assistance from the National Park Service as have many other historical sites in the Keweenaw.   

There was concern raised by the Quincy Smelter Association over the gradual disintegration of the smelter's buildings. Roofs had  collapsed or were in danger of it.  Walls were coming down or weakened and dangerous. Birds had made their home in the many buildings. With no security, vandalism was ongoing. Artifacts were damaged, stolen, strewn around.  It was heading toward eventual demolition. 

 

The smelter is in a valley on the Portage Canal, bracketed by Houghton and Hancock.  Along with the Quincy Mine on the top of the hill,  we present a striking and iconic image of copper history to visitors entering our area. 

The people who turned a near ruin into one of the jewels of Keweenaw's history are the National Park Service staff.  Almost five years ago, they started replacing roofs, closing window openings, fixed collapsing walls, cleaning up the debris, cataloging the artifacts and much more.

Fast forward to 2013.  The Park Service put a new roof on the Mineral Warehouse.   A dominating presence next to the current recreation trail and former railroad right of way.  Trains drove up the incline with their copper ore and dropped them in the bins below.  Before a shingle could be put on, they had to replace weakened and decaying timbers and boards as well as removing the old roof slate.  They cleaned up the interior so future visitors can see another part of our proud heritage.  They did many more tasks that are helping preserve the other buildings in the smelter site.  John Rosemurgy, Steve D'Agostini and Steve Delong  and their crews deserve thanks for the work accomplished this past year.

On the education end, we want to thank Kathleen Harter, Valerie Newman, Brian Hoduski and Jeremiah Mason for their assistance and advice on historical interpretation and the fine museum exhibits workshop in November.

Vital to all this activity is the Advisory Commission.  It is made up of people in our community who have the expertise and interest to see the park continue to grow and improve. Scott See, Executive Director, wears many hats in coordinating with the multiple Heritage Sites comprising the "living history" of the Keweenaw. Scott's current challenge is overseeing the purchase of the Quincy Smelter from negotiating to fundraising and eventually bringing the smelter under the auspices of the Park Service.  We wish him and the board success in the coming year.

Credit for overseeing all this goes to Superintendent Mike Pflaum and his predecessor, recently retired Jim Corless.  Mike is transitioning to a new job as the head of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising, Michigan in 2014.  Good luck!

The Association looks forward to another exciting year with the National Park staff in 2014.

Notice: The Save Quincy Smelter website has been closed.  The website name has been purchased by some one else and has no connection with the Quincy Smelter Association