Copyright © 1996-2003
Kevin E. Musser

 
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Champion #4

Copper Range Railroad
Engineering Department
List of Buildings & Bridges

Houghton, Mich. Sept. 14th, 1916

Copper Range Houghton Yard, looking west. (Paul Meier Collection)

FORWARD
More often than not, the study of a railroad's history focuses on the rolling stock and motive power that it possess. Land locked assets (structures) of a railroad were just as important as the equipment that move products and services from one point to another. The Copper Range Railroad was no exception. The 60 mile mainline of the railroad cuts through the center of the Keweenaw Peninsula and contacts all the major centers of mining and industry the area has to offer. Copper Range built more than two ribbon of steels to connect this region, they also built infrastructure to support this mode of transportation.

The following list of bridges, buildings, water tanks, etc is a glimpse into the Copper Range from the time of its birth through the good years and nearing the peak of operation in the early 1920's. Passenger service was active at this time running at least 15 scheduled passenger trains per day on the mainline and 8 down and back the Lakeshore branch, not including the Freda park train and the school train. The data allows you to see the early development of the railroad in 1899-1900 building from Mass Junction (McKeever) to Houghton. The addition of the Lakeshore branch and the completion of the Copper Range mines and mills in 1902. The completion of the line to Calumet as well in 1902, all seen in the build dates of the structures along the mainline and branchlines. 1912 and 1915 being two years of heavy additions and/or repairs as the railroad matures. This is prior to the time the Copper Range aquired the Mineral Range's line to Gay so that section of the line is not included in this report.

The information within the tables were taken from the Copper Range report to the I.C.C. in 1916. The information regarding the stations was taken from a 1915 Copper Range Timetable, so populations are correct for that time period. I have added links where ever possible to point to photos or further information on the structure or the area.  Thank you to Paul Meier for some of the Copper Range photos shown here, I finally found a nice place to put them, thanks Paul. (Kevin Musser, February 2002)

Copper Range Greenland Depot (Kevin Musser Collection)
(Click here for a photo of this building today)

1916 Copper Range Bridge & Building Index

Water Stations
Bridges
Stations/Locations
Under Crossings

Period Map of the time of this report

Water Stations of the Copper Range

Location	Size	Pump Equipment	Tank Built	Pump Installed	Repairs
Calumet Jct.	16'x24'	Steam	1903	1908
Point Mills Jct.	16'x18'	Gravity	1903
Houghton	16'x18'	Steam	1899	1899	1914
Mill Mine Jct.	16'x24'	Gravity	1901
Mill Mine Jct.	16'x24'	Gravity	1905
Stonington	16'x24'	Steam then Oil	1899	1899-1911
Lake Mine	16'x24'	Steam & Gravity	1905	1910

Bridge List of the Copper Range

The higher the bridge number the further north you are. No. 30 is near Calumet, No. 16 is the bridge over the Portage Canal, No. 4, No. 3 and No. 2 are the three steel bridges over the Firesteel River, near Lake Mine. All except for 57, 55 and 63, not sure why they were given these numbers. The remarks in italics are my comments and are not part of the original report but have been added to help better understand where the bridges were located, or at least my best guess. Links have been added to guide you to photos of these bridges from my collection.

Bridge #55
Reinforced Concrete Slabs used for a bridge (left) over the Copper Range mainline in Painesdale

Mainline Bridges

No.	Station	Description	Length	Date	Remarks
30	320	Steel & Concrete Trestle Ballasted		1910
29	338	Steel & Concrete Girders	337'	1911	@ Douglass Houghton Falls
22	467	Steel & Concrete Girders	184'	1911
21	484	Framed	30'	1902
19	579	Thru Girder Steel	77'	1902
18	665-50	Pile	15'	1902
17	876	Pile	205'7"	1902	Hancock?
16	891	Pony Trusses & Draw	807'	1902-5	Part Joint Owner
15	930-50	Concrete Slabs	22'	1909	Houghton Yard
14A	991	Thru Girders Steel	145'4"	1908	over Old Mill Road
14	993	Steel Trestle Ballasted	156'5"		Traprock Valley
57	1439	Temporary Pile (Washout)	96'5"	1905-12	near Trimountain?
55	1469	Reinforced Concrete Slabs	213"	1913	behind hoisthouse in Painesdale
63	2010	Pile		1912	Built for Stratton
11	2299	Deck Girder Ballasted	46'3"	1907	near Seager?
4	2881	Steel & Concrete Trestle	516'	1899-1910	Firesteel River
3	2889	Steel & Concrete Trestle	597'	1899-1910	Firesteel River
2	2895	Steel & Concrete Trestle	554'	1899-1910	Firesteel River

Lakeshore Branch Bridges

No.	Station	Description	Length	Date	Remarks
36	0-50	Framed Trestle	77'9"	1901
37	Freda Mill	Framed Trestle	154'5"	1902
38	Freda Mill	Framed Trestle	117'	1902
39	Trimountain Mill	Framed Trestle	77'9"	1902
40	52	Deck Girders	445'3"	1913	Owner Trimt Mine
41	52	Steel Trestle	441'	1906	RR owns one-third
42	Edgemere	Framed Trestle	500'	1902
43	Edgemere	Framed Trestle	172'5"	1902
58	Redridge	Steel Deck Girder Ballasted	40'5"	1911	Owner Baltic Mine
59	Redridge	Framed Trestle	100'	1915
44	271	Steel Deck Girders Ballasted	139'5"	1909

Point Mills Branch

No.	Station	Description	Length	Date	Remarks
62	15	Pile	45'	1909

Smelter Branch

No.	Station	Description	Length	Date	Remarks
60	Bosch Brewery	Pile	130'3"	1904
61	Cable Track	Framed	154'5"	1904

Trimountain Mine Tracks

No.	Station	Description	Length	Date	Remarks
50		Framed Trestle	361'3"	1900
55		Framed Trestle	250'6"	1902
54		Framed Trestle	230'	1902

Stations and Locations on the Copper Range

Calumet   Station #61,    0 miles from Calumet

Population 30,000. This is the largest village in the district, and is the home of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company, whose mines, as well as those of the Tamarack and Osceola companies surround the location. In th e immediate vicinity are also located the following mining properties: Centennial, Kearsarge, Wolverine, Allouez, Ahmeek, Mayflower, Old Colony and LaSalle. This is the terminus of the Keweenaw Central, running from Calumet through Copper City, Mohawk, Ojbway, Phoenix and Delaware to Mandan.

Calumet Junction    Station #59,   2 miles from Calumet

This is the junction from the Mainline to Laurium.

LAURIUM BRANCH (FROM CALUMET JUNCTION)
Laurium

Population 11,000. A busy villate adjoining Calumet and containing many beautiful homes, its residence section having attracted a great many of Calumet's business men.

Lake Linden   Station #57,   6.4 miles from Calumet

A thriving village of 4,000 population, adjacent to a growing agricultural district, and the home of the large stamp mills and regrinding plant of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Company.

Grove  Station #57,    7.0 miles from Calumet

Hubbell   Station #55,    8.1 miles from Calumet

Population 2,000. Location of the Calumet & Hecla Smelting Works and Coal Docks. The Ahmeek Stamp Mill is but a short distance from here.

Mills   Station #55,    9.2 miles from Calumet

Tamarack and Osceola Stamp Mills and regrinding plant.

Mason   Station #54,    11.1 miles from Calumet

Coal docks and stamp mills of the Quincy Mining Company. Terminus of the Qunicy & Torch Lake Railroad.

Mason Shelter Shed (ICC sketch)

Point Mills Junction  

Point Mills Section house (ICC Sketch)

SENTER BRANCH (FROM POINT MILLS JUNCTION)
Senter

Powder plant of the Atlas Powder Company.

Dollar Bay  Station #50,    13.3 miles from Calumet

A village of 2,000 population, where a wire mill, saw mill and the Lake Superior Smelting Works are located.

Ripley   Station #49,    15.6 miles from Calumet

The Quincy Smelting Works are located here.

Hancock   Station #48,    16.7 miles from Calumet

Population 10,000. Situated on Portage Lake, opposite Houghton, with which it is connected by bridge. The Hancock Mine and Quincy Mine are located just outside of the city limits. Hancock boasts the reputation of being the only city in the Copper County, all other localities being villages.

Houghton   Station #47,    17.1 miles from Calumet

Copper Range Coal Docks and Coal Unloading Towers, Houghton Yard
(Paul Meier Collection)

Population 8,000. The county seat of Houghton County, located on Portage Lake, having dock facilities for the largest lake steamers which ply through this waterway between the Soo and Duluth. The large passenger steamers of the Great Lakes Transit Corporation land at the Copper Range Railroad docks, bringing thousands of visitors to the Copper Country annually. The Michigan College of Mines, a State institution, with national reputation, is also located here. Among the prominent buildings are the Houghton Club, Masonic Temple and the Douglass Hotel. The hotel facilities are always an agreeable surprise to visitors. The Michigan Smelting Company, Isle Royale and Superior Mines are located within a mile or two.

Houghton Sand house (ICC Sketch)

SMELTER BRANCH (FROM HOUGHTON)
Atlantic Sands   2 miles west of Houghton on Smelter Branch

The Michigan Smelting Company is located here.

Atlantic   Station #44,    22.10 miles from Calumet

Location of the Atlantic Mine and the D.A. Stratton Handle Company, manufacturers of broom handles, chair stock , etc., whose products go to all parts of the United States.

Mill Mine Junction   Station #43,   23.6 miles from Calumet

(MTU Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections)

The Junction of the Copper Range Mainline and the Lakeshore Branch.

South Range   Station #42,   24.7 miles from Calumet

A busy village of 2,000 inhabitants and the location of the Baltic Mine, another property of the Copper Range Company. This village has been steadily growing, having a bank, numerous stores, lumber yard, etc..

Trimountain   Station #41,   26.6 miles from Calumet

Location of the Trimountain Mine, another of the Copper Range Company's properties. At this point the Copper Range Hospital is located.

Painesdale   Station #40,    27.6 miles from Calumet

The principal mining location of the Copper Range Company's mines, the general offices being at this point, as well as the Champion Mine, one of the heaviest producers in the Copper Country.

Toivola   Station #33,    33.9 miles from Calumet

Copper Range Section House in Toivola, built in 1900
(No longer located on the Mainline, KMusser Photo)
See below for ICC sketch of this structure

At this point there has been considerable agricultural development, there being fifty or sixty farmers located in the immediate vicinity. It is also a shipping point for logs, mine timber and cord wood.

Toivola Section House (ICC Sketch)

Elm River   Station #26,    40.1 miles from Calumet

This is the station for the Elm River Mine.

Lake Gerald   Station #25,   43.3 miles from Calumet

This station serves the north end of Twin Lakes, where many cottages have been erected.

Twin Lakes   Station #24,    42.5 miles from Calumet

The principal station on Twin Lakes, two beautiful bodies of water, popular with the Copper County people for the abundant hunting of all kinds and excellent bass fishing. Many cottages have been erected at this point, among them the beautiful club house of the Twin Lakes Lodge, an organization of prominent Houghton business men. These lakes have been well stocked with large and small-mouthed bass. It is an ideal camping, bathing and fishing resort and is situated twenty-five miles south of Houghton.

Twin Lakes Shelter (ICC Sketch)

Lake Roland   Station #23,   43.3 miles from Calumet

Location of the Wyandot Mine. From this station the south end of Twin Lakes is reached, where the Cottage Hotel and cottages of W.H. Drittler are located.

Winona   Station #21,    45.6 miles from Calumet

A growing community of 1,500 people and the location of the Winona Copper Company.

Stratton   Station #19,    48.7 miles from Calumet

Three miles south of Winona. The new logging camp of the D.A. Stratton Company, who's handle factory is located in Atlantic.

Seager   Station #18,    49.7 miles from Calumet

Indiana Location

Location of the Indiana Mine and a short distance from several copper prospects.

Lake Mine   Station #8,    56.6 miles from Calumet

This station was formerly known as Belt and is situated in one of the oldest copper mining districts in the Upper Peninsula. The Lake Mine is located here and is one of the largest producers in the district. The Alogma, North Lake and South Lake mines are also located in this vicinity.

Greenland Junction   Station #5,   57.1 miles from Calumet

McKeever   Station #2,    59.2 miles from Calumet

The junction point of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway and Copper Range Railroad. One-half mile from Mass, Mich.

GREENLAND BRANCH (FROM GREENLAND JUNCTION)
Greenland   Station #7,   2.3 miles from Greenland Junction

(The Greenland Depot today, a private residence)

A thriving community of 1,100 inhabitants; the location of Adventure Copper Mining Company and the Mass Mine.

LAKESHORE BRANCH (FROM MILL MINE JUNCTION)
Obenhoff   Station #81,   7.9 miles from Freda

Obenhoff Shelter (ICC Sketch)

LAKESHORE BRANCH (FROM MILL MINE JUNCTION)
Salmon Trout   Station #83,   5.3 miles from Freda

LAKESHORE BRANCH
Redridge Junction   Station #85,   3.1 miles from Freda

Redridge Junction Depot (ICC Sketch)

REDRIDGE BRANCH (FROM REDRIDGE JUNCTION)
Redridge

Home of the Atlantic and Baltic Mining Company's stamp mills on the shore of Lake Superior.

LAKESHORE BRANCH
Stanwood   Station #85,   2.3 miles from Freda

LAKESHORE BRANCH
Beacon Hill   Station #88,   .7 miles from Freda

Home of the Trimountain Mining Company's stamp mill on the shore of Lake Superior.

LAKESHORE BRANCH
Freda   Station #89

Home of the Champion Copper Company's stamp mill on the shore of Lake Superior.

Freda Shelter Shed (ICC Sketch)

LAKESHORE BRANCH
Freda Park   1 mile from Freda

A beautiful natural park on the shores of Lake Superior; a popular outing point for Copper Country people and ideal for Sunday school picnics, etc..

List of Under Crossings Built by the Copper Range RR.
Mainline

Copper Range #29 Consolidation running Extra (Paul Meier Collection)