THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIWABIK MINE FROM 1892-1920

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

BY NORMAN JOHN SETNICKER

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS June 1968 PREFACE.

T~1s study ef the Biwabik Mine came out net 0nly @f 1ta 1mp&rtance te the city of Biwabik, but its importance to the histary 0f Minnesata and the United States. Moreover, it seems apprepriate te undertake tn1e study since the city ef Biwabik has just finished celebrating its Diam0nd Jubilee. Thia event hen0red Biwabik's hietery which dates back ta 1892. Since the city was built around the industry, especially the Biwabik Mine, the writer h$pes te trace this clese relationship which dates back te> 1892. In writing this brief histery &f the Biwabik Mine (1892-1920), access te afficial mining records was hoped fer. Because it remained independent during this time per1Gd, mining records were not te be found. Therefere, much Gf the source infor- mati@n for this acceunt is based upen newspapers. Tne early hietery (1892-1900) is largely based en 1nformai1on gathered frem the Mesaba Ranee, a paper published in Merritt, Minnes0ta, until the town was destreyed by fire in 1894. Thie paper then meved t& Biwabik where it stayed in business until 111 1900, and the Biwabik area was witheut a weekly paper until the advent af the Biwabik Times in 1907. Fer the peried frem 1900-1907, newspapers ef neigh- baring c0mmunities, especially the Eveleth Mining !!!! and the Virginia Enterprise furnished essential 1nformatien. The writer w0uld like te acknewledge sGme ef the many peeple whe gave me aid and assistance in the preparatien 0f this study. First 0f all, I

W$Uld like t0 thank Mr. R0y Coombes, &wner ~f the Biwabik Times, for the use of some sf the back issues ef that paper; sec0ndly, to Mr. Donald McLish 0f the Cens&lidated Abstract C0mpany for hie time and effort in locating smurce material relevant to the land study Gf this mine, and special thanks are due te the Pickands-Mather Campany, especially Mr. Benningten and Mr. Bell fer efferta in helping lGcate material. Ale~, I w@uld like te sh0w my appreciatien ts Dr. Arthur J. Larsen fer his valuable hist0rical assistance and his never ending encourage- ment.

iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

PREFACE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 111 LIST OF TABLES •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • t11 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS • • • • • • • • • • • • viii INTRODUCTION •••••••• . . . . . • • • • ,ix Chapter I. GEOLOGICAL MAKE-UP OF THE BIWABIK MINE 1 Geelsgy 0f the Mesabi Range Geolegy ef the Biwabik Mine Metned Gf Pr0epeoting far Ore Methed ef Sampling the Ore Analyses ef the Biwabik Mine Ore Depesits II. LAND LEGISLATION AFFECTING THE BIWABIK MINE ••••••••••• • • 12 Lecatien of the Biwabik Mine D1apesit10n ef Land en the Mesabi Preperty Ownere ~f the Biwabik Mine III. EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE BIWAB~K MINE. 36 Preblems Related te the Devel©pment ef the Mine Transp0rtati0n C&mpet1t1en Panic 0f 1893-94 Change in Ownership The Merritt-Rockefeller Centreversy IV. EARLY HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF BJWABIK 82 Mevement from Merritt tG Biwabik Early Business Develepment Tbe Biwabik Mine and Public Utilitiea

V TABLE OF CONTENTS: Continued

Chapter Page V. TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS AT THE MINE. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 102 Use ~f the Steam Shovel Werld 1 s Largest Crusber Fine Repair Shope VI. !HE BIWABIK MINE EXPERIENCES LABOR PROBLEMS. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 116 Strike of 1907 Strike of 1916

VII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. • • • • • • 136 APPENDIX •••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 146 BIBLIOGRAPHY. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 152

vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Number ef Hemestead Entries, 1880-1894 •• 21 2. Mineral Leasas and Centracts Issued • •• 30 3. Stock Statement, Biwabik Mt. Iren Cempany 61 4. Pepulatien ef Biwabik and Mine Areas • •• 89 5. Nativity Figures fer Village of Biwabik, 91 6. Nativity Figures fer Biwabik and Mino Areas • ••••••••••••••••• 91 7. Nativity Figures for Village Gf Biwabik (1905) •••••••••••••••••• 92 8. Nativity Figures fer Biwabik and Mine .·. Areae,(1905) ••••••••••••••• 93 9. Papulati0n Increases far Biwabik and Mine LocatiOES •••••••••••••••• 93 10. Occupati&n Figures fer Village ef Biwabik (1895) •••••••••••••••••• 94 11. Ocoupatien Figures fer Biwabik Mine L0cat1en (1895) ••••••••••••• 95 12. Ocoupat10n Figures for Village ef Biwabik (1905) •••••••••••••••••• 96 13. Perieds ef Residence in Biwabik (1905) •• 96 14. National Imm1grat1en Figures, 1892-1905. 97 15. Yearly T0nnage 0f the Biwabik Mine • •••19f 16. Yearly T0nnage frem the Mesabi Range • •• 147 17. Mining Wages Per Day, 1896-1900 •••••148 18. Frices ef Mesabi Bessemer Ora • ••••• 149 19. Preductien ef Several Lake 8uper1er .. · Ranges. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • · .149 20. Partial Ust of Early Loth~lders in Biwabik •••••••••••••••••150 21. Test Pit Analyses ef the Biwabik Mine •• 151 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Lacatien ef the Mesabi R~nge •••••• 2 2. Ge$logic Structure af the Ore ••••• 4 3. L0cati0n 0f Test Pits and Ore Lensea • • 6 4. Map Gf the Biwabik Mine 1895 •••••• 15 5. Operaters sf the Biwabik Mine ••••• 36 6. Plan of the Mine and Railraad Tracks •• 41 7. Early Steam Sh~vel at the Biwabik ••• 43 8. Picture sf Dingy Lec@metive •••••• 46 9. Duluth Missabe and Narthern RR StatiQB. 51 10. Picture •f Biwabik Mine(West) ••••• 75 11. Picture of Biwabik Mine(East) ••••• 76

vi11 INTRODUCTION

Even thaugh much has been written abeut the ir0n ere industry, especially the Mesabi Range, few have written the history 0f any specific mine er cempany. Perhaps this might be explained by the difficulty Qf gathering informatien baeed en efficial mining recarde ef a cempany. In the preaent instance this pr0blem was alse enceuntered, but hopefully this study of the second eldest mine en the Mesabi Irsn Range will be useful nevertheless. In a time of widespread explQration and speculat18n in the iron ore industry, the Biwabik Mine emerged as second anly te the M0untain IrQn Mine. Althsugh it was discsvered seoend, it hence- forth became a leader 1n the mining industry, technologically speaking. It was the first in Minnesota te use the steam shevel as a prsductien ta0l. It was later rec~gnized fer its tine crush- ing system with the added prestige ef installing the world's largest mine af its time. These accomplishments can be appreciated whan it is neted that the mine remained independent until 1924, when Pickands Mather Cempany became its agent. Largely evershadewed by the Oliver interests, the 1x Biwabik Mine earned a reputatien f~r being ~ne af the few mines which did n~t come under the large oerperat1ens such as U.S. Steel. This study will shew the develepment ef th1e mine from 1t1 early beginning in 1892, to the peri0d just before Pickands-Mather toQk over as agents in 1924. To shew the reader the imp0rtanoe of this mine, Jeseph Bellweed, manager ~f the Chandler Mine in Ely said, "I am very favorably impreseed ••••• I am convinced that the Biwabik Mine is the greatest an the Range er any other range, the biggest thing in the shape ef an iron mine in the werld ... a. Teday, we weuld have t0 excuse the superlatives of Mr. Sellwoed since bigger and gr