Mohawk Mining Company
The Mohawk Mining Company was a major copper mining company, based in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, that was established in November 1898 and lasted until 1932. The company, between 1906 and 1932, paid out more than $15 million in shareholder dividends. The Mine is best known for the large amounts of mohawkite that were found on the property. The Mohawk mine operated until 1932; in 1934 it was purchased by the Copper Range Company.
History
Establishment
The property was originally considered too far east to contain valuable ore deposits. It was first considered a mining location in 1896, after lumberman Ernest Koch first discovered copper there. The company was later established in November 1898, after Joseph E. Gay had conducted a successful exploration for copper on the property earlier that year. When established, John Stanton was president.Stocks were offered at a price of $7.50, and by the end of 1899 there were 594 individual stockholders.
In 1899, construction on the property began, after the company had raised $7,517.50. Shafts No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 were dug. Each shaft had three compartments with two skiproads, and a separate pipe and ladder way compartment. Shaft No. 2 had an 8 drill air compressor and No. 3 had a 25 drill air compressor. Both were Ingersoll Sergeant make, with Rand drills for underground use. A fourth shaft was constructed in 1901.
Early years
In January 1900, a fissure vein of copper ore was cut on the first level of Shaft No. 1. This ore was a previously unknown type of rock and samples were sent to George A. Koenig of the Michigan College of Mines. Koenig named the rock mohawkite for the mine where it had been found.In the year 1900, the Mohawk Mining Company purchased the Hebard Stone Quarry, the dock on Traverse Bay, and the narrow gauge railroad connecting the dock and the quarry. The railway was extended from the quarry to the mine. The dock was extended 300 feet into the bay and was reinforced with heavy crib-work, so that it could be used for shipping ore and receiving supplies by boat. In 1902, the Mohawk and Traverse Bay Railroad was widened to regular gage.
The Mohawk stamp mill began construction in 1901 and started operation in December 1902. The foundation for the 178 by 206 foot building, of steel frame covered with corrugated iron, was made of sandstone from the Hebard Quarry. The mill's equipment included three sets of stamps and three sets of auxiliary crushing rolls. The stamps each had a capacity of 500 tons daily. Four houses and a large two story building were built near the mill. The two story structure was to be used as a school on the first floor and a meeting room on the second. This settlement later became the town of Gay and was named Gay to honor Joseph E. Gay.
The No. 5 shaft was started in 1904, and Shafts No. 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists. In 1906, a power plant was built at the mine, it was located between the No. 1 and No. 2 shafts. In January 1906, the first dividend of $2.00 per share was paid, and in July the second dividend of $3.00 per share was paid.
On February 23, 1906, John Stanton, President of the company, died. Joseph E. Gay replaced him as president.
In the year 1909, the company had employed 1000 men. The Mohawk mine was producing more copper than any other mine in the Keweenaw County and was the only mine paying dividends. By 1910, a sixth shaft was dug on the property.
Strike of 1913–14
On July 23, 1913, the Mohawk Mine was closed due to a unionized strike of the miners of Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties. The objectives of the strike were to receive larger wages, 8-hour work days, and the return of the two-man drill. Prior to the strike, miners worked in 10-hour shifts, which included a 1-hour break for lunch. During the strike many workers and their families left the area. The mine had 686 men employed before the strike, and after the strike was settled only 102 men returned on January 16, 1914. By February 20, 400 men had returned. The mine would not be back in full operation until May, with 711 men employed, and the 8 hour work day became standard in the Mohawk Mine.Growth of the mine
In March 1910, a small piece of property was obtained from the Ahmeek Mining Company. This would allow the No. 3 shaft to reach a maximum depth of 2,800 feet, instead of the previous limit of 1,600 feet, which is due to the 36-degree angle at which the shaft was created. In 1923, the Mohawk Mining Company absorbed the Wolverine Copper Mining Company and the Michigan Copper Company. In 1929, the Company took over the Mass Consolidated Mining Company, which was a combination of the Old Ridge, Evergreen, Mass, Ogima, Merrimac, Hazzard, and Flint Steel Mining Companies.Town of Mohawk
The town of Mohawk formed near the mine. In the beginning, the town had a blacksmith shop, the Petermann Store, and a church built by Norwegians, in 1902. The church was sold in 1907 to Catholic Missionaries and became St. Mary's Church. Another church, known as the Mohawk Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1905. The Mohawk Bank, opened in 1907 with a capital stock of $25,000. The blacksmith shop, owned by Thomas Parks, was sold to Mr. Bert Jewell during the strike in 1913.Officers
When the company was established, in 1898, John Stanton was president at the Mohawk Mine, at the same time Stanton took control of the Wolverine Copper Mining Company, located 5 miles south of the Mohawk, and also became President of that company. Fred Smith, who had been Superintendent at the Wolverine Mine since 1892, also became the Superintendent at the Mohawk Mine. On February 23, 1906, John Stanton died. Joseph E. Gay replaced him as president. Gay was later replaced as president by John Stanton's son, John R. Stanton.| Title | Person | Dates |
| President | John Stanton | November 1898 – February 23, 1906 |
| President | Joseph E. Gay | February 23, 1906 – ? |
| President | John R. Stanton | ?, ~1916, ~1918 |
| President | Lunsford P. Yandell | ?, ~1922, ~1926 |
| Secretary-Treasurer | John R. Stanton | November 1898 – ?, ~1904 |
| Secretary-Treasurer | George W. Drucker | ?, ~1918 |
| Treasurer | R. E. Graver | ?, ~1922 |
| Secretary | F. G. Heumann | ?, ~1922 |
| Director | John Stanton | November 1898 – February 23, 1906 |
| Director | Joseph E. Gay | November 1898 – ?, ~1904 |
| Director | John R. Stanton | November 1898 – ? |
| Director | William A. Paine | November 1898 – ?, ~1904, ~1918, ~1922 |
| Director | Fred Smith | November 1898 – 1913 |
| Director | James S. Dunstan | ?, ~1918, ~1922 |
| Director | F. W. Denton | ?, ~1918, ~1922 |
| Director | Lunsford P. Yandell | ?, ~1922 |
| Director | Charles D. Lanier | ?, ~1922 |
| Agent | Fred Smith | November 1898 – 1913 |
| Agent | Theodore Dengler | 1913 – ? |
| Superintendent | Fred Smith | November 1898 – 1913 |
| Superintendent | Theodore Dengler | 1913 – ? |
| Assistant Superintendent | Willard J. Smith | ?, ~1904 |
| Mill Superintendent | B.S. Shearer | ?, ~1904 |
| Clerk | Frank Getchell | November 1898 – ?, ~1904 |
| Mining Engineer | Willard Smith | November 1898 – ? |
| Mining Captain | Henry Trevarrow | November 1898 – ? |
| Mining Captain | John Trevorrow | ?, ~1904 |