Latitude: 46°31'47"N
Longitude: 87°42'57"W
S/2 NW/4 Section 29 T48N R27W
A gold mine north of Ishpeming.
In 1881, former druggist, postmaster, and school board member Julius Ropes discovered gold among the serpentine rocks north of the town of Ishpeming, which prompted him to form the Ropes Gold and Silver Company to exploit that discovery. Mining and stamp-milling operations began in earnest in 1883 with the sinking of the Curry Shaft and continued until financial troubles forced closure of the mine in 1897. Fifteen levels had been developed to 813 feet depth. $645,792 worth of gold was shipped during this period, extracted by the mercury amalgamation process and gravity separation.
Corrigan, McKinney and Co. purchased the mine property and, using the newly-developed cyanide leaching process, reclaimed nearly $200,000 in gold from the tailings during 1900 - 1901. Additional gold was gleaned from scraps of mercury amalgam recovered throughout the mill buildings.
The mine changed hands numerous times without further production until the inflation of the 1970s drove up gold prices enough to prompt Callahan Mining Co. to purchase the property and invest in exploration and rehabilitation of the mine. Mining resumed in 1983 with the sinking of a truck decline to 900 feet depth, and a new shaft was sunk in 1984, with workings reaching 1548 feet depth. Ore rock was trucked to the ore dressing plant of the retired Humboldt Iron Mine for gold extraction. Operations continued despite the the collapse of the uppermost levels into huge stope in 1987. The hole was filled with sand and mining carried on until expensive repairs and falling gold prices prompted closure in 1991 of the only profitable gold mine in Michigan's history.
Mineral List
31 entries listed. 25 valid minerals.
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References
Rocks & Min.: 58:112
Dana 6: 1086.
Fountain, D.R. (1992) "Michigan Gold: Mining in the Upper Peninsula", Lake Superior Port Cities Inc., Duluth, MN.
Geology of the Ropes Gold Mine, Marquette County, Michigan. Economic Geology; March 1945; v. 40; no. 2; p. 115-128;
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