Victoria Mine facts for kids

The Victoria Mine was a group of copper mines in Rockland Township, Ontonagon County, Michigan. It was part of Michigan's famous Copper Country. A huge piece of copper, called the Ontonagon Boulder, was found nearby. The mine worked on and off from 1849 until it closed for good in 1921. Most of the copper found here was a type called native copper. Other minerals like quartz, epidote, calcite, prehnite, and pumpellyite were also found in the rocks.

Early Mining: Before 1849

Long before Europeans came to North America, people were already mining in this area. Old mining pits show that ancient miners were here. The large Ontonagon Boulder was found near these old sites. Missionaries first discovered the boulder, which made British investors interested.

In 1771, a British explorer named Alexander Henry the elder tried to open a mine. He dug along the Ontonagon River, where the boulder was found. But his project failed when the tunnel collapsed because it was too close to the river. After this, the mining site was left empty for about 70 years.

The Victoria Mine Opens: 1849-1899

In 1849, Christopher Columbus Cushing started a mine close to where Henry had tried before. This was called the Cushing Mine. It ran for about a year. Then, in 1850, a new company took over and called it the Forest Mine. Eight years later, the company changed its name to the Victoria Mining Company.

The company faced many problems during this time. Their first stamp mill, which crushed rocks, was destroyed in a fire. The second one was washed away in a flood. After 1855, the mine only worked sometimes for many years. During this period, about 200 to 250 tons of copper were dug from the Victoria Mine. This copper was sent to Calumet, Michigan, to be melted down.

In 1881, Thomas Hooper, a mining expert from the Nonesuch Mine, checked on the Victoria Mine. He pumped water out and found the mine was in bad shape. Many tunnels had fallen in, and the wooden supports were rotten. He said it would cost a lot of money to get the mine working again. Because of this, the mine did not reopen until the late 1800s.

A New Era: 1899-1921

In 1899, the Victoria Copper Mining Company started running the mine again. Captain Hooper was hired to manage everything. One of his first challenges was finding enough fuel. Wood was scarce, and coal was expensive. So, Hooper looked for other ways to power the mine.

People had thought about using water power as early as 1882. An old report from 1882 mentioned the "important advantages" of using water from the Ontonagon River. In 1904, a Canadian inventor named Charles Havelock Taylor visited the mine. He built a special machine called a hydraulic air compressor. This machine used the river's water to create power.

Once it was running, the Taylor Air Compressor gave the Victoria Mine cheap power. This was very helpful because it allowed the mine to dig up lower-quality copper ore. In fact, one report said the Victoria Mine could handle "lower average grade" rock than almost any other mine in the Lake Superior area.

During this time, the village near the mine, also called Victoria, grew to 80 houses. The mining company owned all the buildings, including the school, the general store, and the homes. The people living there were miners and their families. Miners were paid about $1 a day for a ten-hour workday, which later increased to $2.

It's hard to know exactly how much copper was mined during this period because records are missing. The mine worked almost non-stop for nearly 20 years. But as the 1920s began, the price of copper started to fall. The cheap power from the Taylor Air Compressor helped the Victoria Mine stay open longer than many other mines. However, after World War I ended, copper prices dropped by half, to 13 cents per pound. When the price fell to 11 cents a pound, the Victoria Mine closed for good.

What Happened Next: 1921-Today

Victoria Dam: Power from the River

After the mine closed in 1921, a company called Copper District Power Company bought the land. They wanted to build a power plant on the Ontonagon River. A new dam was built between 1929 and 1931. This dam created a five-mile-long artificial lake called the Victoria Flowage.

Since 1947, the Upper Peninsula Power Company has operated the dam. They now own three more dams upstream to make sure there's enough water to create power for the area. Near the main dam, the Taylor Air Compressor, its canals, and the dam built in 1902 to supply it are now underwater. Even though it's not used anymore, the Taylor Hydraulic Air Compressor might still work perfectly!

Old Victoria: A Step Back in Time

After the mine closed, the village of Victoria slowly fell apart. In the 1970s, people decided to save the historical parts of the area. A group called the Society for Restoration of Old Victoria started fixing up some of the old cabins where the miners used to live.

The site opened in 1976 and has been giving tours ever since. Today, four cabins have been restored. They are furnished to look like they did when miners lived there. This includes two boarding houses and a family home. Old Victoria is now one of the Keweenaw National Historical Park sites, helping people learn about the past.