Railroad gang

This extremely early and unidentified photograph, although badly faded and spotted, may record a crew from the railroad gang which cut, graded and then laid the tracks from Powers to the new iron mines during the spring, summer and fall of 1877. By June 1, 1877, the railroad was within three miles of the Breen Mine in Waucedah, and a wooden railway bridge with long, high approaches stretching nearly 500 feet was nearing completion. A portion of one of these approaches could be pictured in the background at the upper left of this photograph. The somber men appear well-equipped with shovels, sledge hammers and pick-like hammers used to drive railroad spikes. Note the child in the lower right, perhaps sitting on his father’s knee. [Menominee Range Historical Museum], Item also published with caption in: Dickinson County, Michigan : from earliest times through the Twenties / compiled and edited by William John Cummings. Iron Mountain, Mich. : Dickinson County Board of Commissioners, 1991. 432 p. : ill, maps, ports. ; 3
Abstract/Description: This extremely early and unidentified photograph, although badly faded and spotted, may record a crew from the railroad gang which cut, graded and then laid the tracks from Powers to the new iron mines during the spring, summer and fall of 1877. By June 1, 1877, the railroad was within three miles of the Breen Mine in Waucedah, and a wooden railway bridge with long, high approaches stretching nearly 500 feet was nearing completion. A portion of one of these approaches could be pictured in the background at the upper left of this photograph. The somber men appear well-equipped with shovels, sledge hammers and pick-like hammers used to drive railroad spikes. Note the child in the lower right, perhaps sitting on his father’s knee. [Menominee Range Historical Museum]
Subject(s): Railroads -- Employees
Portraits, Group
Dickinson County (Mich.)
Date Created: 1900 (approximate)
Title: Railroad gang.
Name(s): Dickinson County Library, contributor
Cummings, William John, contributor
Menominee Range Historical Museum, contributor
Superiorland Library Cooperative, contributor
Type of Resource: still image
Date Created: 1900 (approximate)
Physical Form: photographs
Extent: 1 item
Abstract/Description: This extremely early and unidentified photograph, although badly faded and spotted, may record a crew from the railroad gang which cut, graded and then laid the tracks from Powers to the new iron mines during the spring, summer and fall of 1877. By June 1, 1877, the railroad was within three miles of the Breen Mine in Waucedah, and a wooden railway bridge with long, high approaches stretching nearly 500 feet was nearing completion. A portion of one of these approaches could be pictured in the background at the upper left of this photograph. The somber men appear well-equipped with shovels, sledge hammers and pick-like hammers used to drive railroad spikes. Note the child in the lower right, perhaps sitting on his father’s knee. [Menominee Range Historical Museum]
Note(s):

Item also published with caption in: Dickinson County, Michigan : from earliest times through the Twenties / compiled and edited by William John Cummings. Iron Mountain, Mich. : Dickinson County Board of Commissioners, 1991. 432 p. : ill, maps, ports. ; 3
Subject(s): Railroads -- Employees
Portraits, Group
Dickinson County (Mich.)
Held by: Dickinson County Library
Restrictions on Access: No Copyright (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)
Is Part Of: Dickinson County Library photographs. Identifier: SLC-005
In Collections: