Chapin Mine

Hamilton Mine Shaft Under Construction, Chapin Location, North Side, Iron Mountain, Dickinson County, Michigan, ca. Late Fall 1883: With the buildings surrounding the Chapin Mine in the background at the foot of Iron Mountain’s Millie Hill serving as a reference point, this view, looking east, shows the Hamilton Mine shaft under construction. This photograph documents early mining construction techniques before steel replaced timber. The photographer probably captured this scene in the late fall of 1883 when the shaft house and tramway were being erected. Notice how few pine trees adorn the crest of Millie Hill. [Menominee Range Historical Museum]