The cove at Presque Isle, near the site of the New York and Lake Superior Mining Company mine. (Photo courtesy of the Marquette Regional History Center)

“Upon this site the New York and Lake Superior Mining Company commenced mining operations in the summer of 1845, Edward Larned (Learned), Manager.” Marquette County Historical Marker on Presque Isle, 1927

MARQUETTE — Prior to the founding of the village of Marquette, the New York and Lake Superior Mining Company briefly mined copper and silver at the cove on Presque Isle. It is believed that the firm left within months of arriving, abandoning a number of buildings, some of which stood until the 20th century.

The New York and Lake Superior Mining Company was based in Albany, New York.  Edward Learned (commonly misspelled Larned), who was appointed President, and other east coast investors desired to join the copper rush in the Keweenaw Peninsula. The organization’s activities in the Upper Peninsula were highlighted in its first annual report, dated February 24, 1846. 

The company was formed in early 1845. The trustees secured eight mining leases from the federal government, including two in the Dead River area, three on the Keweenaw Peninsula, and two near the mouth of the Montreal River. Of the two tracts in the Dead River region, the first included the Dead River and Presque Isle while the second encompassed Middle Island and Little Presque Isle. 

It was costly to transport ore and supplies to these remote sites and due to the climate, transportation was limited to between late spring and early fall. Trustees purchased the schooner Swallow to address these issues and improve their chance of success. They believed the time and money they would save by not contracting other organizations would balance the acquisition.  

In September teams were established at Agate Harbor once equipment was acquired, and they were dispatched to each location to determine which were worthwhile. After their inspection, the company only sent a team of miners to three places due to the limited navigation window. In the spring, the business intended to mine other locations.

One of the sites selected was Presque Isle. According to the mineral survey in the company’s annual report, there was an abundance of lead, copper, and other minerals. It stated, “The copper formation at Presque Isle consisted of alternated sand-rocks, together with trap and serpentine, penetrated with numerous veins of variegated, or liver-colored copper ore, called ‘horse-flesh Copper,’ by the Cornish miners. Veins were believed to vary in thickness, from an inch to one and two feet; and although larger veins on the surface had a portion of Galena-Sulphuret of Lead (silver)-it was believed that the Copper above described will be the prevailing one.”

Fourteen miners were sent to Dead River.  John R. St. John traveled to the Lake Superior region in 1845 and published his observations in a book entitled, “A True Description of the Lake Superior Country.” It gave an account of mines he visited, including Presque Isle.  The manager of the Presque Isle operation was Charles Learned. St. John wrote:

He (C. Learned) has seventeen persons, fifteen men and two women.  These are English and Irish. The overseer is a Cornish miner, who seems to understand his business.  They have erected five buildings, including a storehouse and blacksmith’s shop and a root house. Their buildings and shafts are on the north end of the point near the north bay (the cove), and on the west side of the river. Their shaft is opened considerably above the lake from which the hills rise back. Mr. Learned went on with his men about the fifth of October last and had put up his buildings and worked but five days at the shaft, when I was there, October 28th. The shaft commenced here upon a lead vein, from which they took three tons in the five days they had worked.

A trail from the cove to the storage buildings on the west side of the Dead River was also constructed.  

When a shareholders meeting was held in February, Presque Isle mining was still ongoing. A communication from Presque Isle, dated December 17th, was mentioned.  “…we are informed that ‘the vein is yielding a large amount of the Yellow Sulphuret of Copper, the ore in the load being from 16 to 20 inches in width.’ This vein carried lead at the surface, but it was gradually displaced by copper, as the shaft was sunk, until at a depth of 40 feet, it entirely disappeared.”  

It’s unclear when the mining at Presque Isle ended exactly, but it was most likely less than a year. A study of the area in 2002 states the deepest mine found was 45 feet. Since the aforementioned mine produced nothing at 40 feet and there were other possible sites in the copper country, trustees may have determined that mining in the Dead River region was not economically wise.