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32-437: The life of Nonesuch was relatively short. It saw its first mining in 1867 and its last in 1912. The mine was opened and closed five different times, each under different ownership. The only time it made a profit was in the period 1879–1881. A US post office operated at Nonesuch from 1876 to 1887. Between 1881 and 1884 the town reached its peak with a population of about 300. The town included school with 30 students, as well as

64-529: A 20-person crew was sent to Nonesuch to start mining, but shut down in less than a year. The mine never again reopened. Copper expert Horace Stevens commented in 1902: Total recorded production of the mine was 390 thousand pounds of copper. In 1955, the Copper Range Company opened the White Pine mine , solved the problems of mining and treating the ore, and successfully mined copper from

96-478: A boarding house, livery stable, markets, stage coach service, and a uniformed baseball team. The copper at the mine was found in a 4-foot-thick (1.2 m) bed of sandstone, and the underlying shale, also a few feet thick. These shales and sandstones were given the name Nonesuch shales and sandstones because they were rocks with very fine copper in them. This unusual (for the Copper Country ) form of copper

128-525: A nervous, active temperament inclined toward the practical and scientific. He exhibited early his lifelong interest in the natural world. In spite of a slight speech impediment and facial scarring from a youthful experiment with gunpowder, he was at ease with all levels of society. In 1829 Houghton entered the Rensselaer School in Troy, where, under the direction of Amos Eaton , scientific training

160-479: A storm. His demise sent waves of shock through Michigan and the entire country. His reluctance to yield to the expressed concerns of his voyageurs about the worsening weather conditions may have contributed to the disaster. His remains were discovered on the shoreline the next spring 1846 and returned to Detroit, where they were buried in Elmwood Cemetery . Neither of the surveys on which he was working at

192-571: A term as mayor of Detroit in 1842, apparently against his wishes. He administered competently, raising the possibility of higher political office, perhaps governor. In 1845, with the state survey moribund because of the lack of funds, Houghton organized a combined linear and geological survey of the Lake Superior region that was funded by the federal government. While working on that survey, he and two companions drowned in Lake Superior near Eagle River, Michigan , when their small boat capsized in

224-596: A waste product, which was often stored in large, unsecured piles near the coast. In the town of Gay, Michigan , stamp sands from a former mill have escaped into the lake and gradually moved South along the coast, burying the natural shoreline, creating new land, and obstructing piers and waterways. The Copper Country averages more snowfall than any part of the United States east of the Mississippi River , and more snowfall than any non-mountainous region of

256-622: Is an area in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States , including Keweenaw County, Michigan , Houghton , Baraga and Ontonagon counties as well as part of Marquette County . The area is so named as copper mining was prevalent there from 1845 until the late 1960s, with one mine (the White Pine mine) continuing through 1995. The region includes Copper Island , Copper Harbor and Isle Royale . In its heyday in

288-797: Is largely rural, and much of it has been designated as state parks or similar designations. These include McLain State Park , Porcupine Mountains State Park , and the Copper Country State Forest . The Keweenaw National Historical Park includes several important sites relating to the area's copper-mining history. Institutions of higher education include the former Finlandia University in Hancock, founded in 1896 as Suomi College (closed in 2023), and Michigan Technological University in Houghton, originally established in 1885 as

320-477: The Nonesuch Shale for the next 40 years. The townsite of Nonesuch is at an elevation of 928 feet (283 m) above mean sea level, at 46°45′19″N 089°37′11″W  /  46.75528°N 89.61972°W  / 46.75528; -89.61972 . 46°45′19″N 89°37′11″W  /  46.75528°N 89.61972°W  / 46.75528; -89.61972 Copper Country The Copper Country

352-686: The Old Copper complex , Native Americans mined copper from small pits as early as 3000 B.C. on this peninsula surrounded by the waters of Lake Superior . Douglass Houghton , the State Geologist of Michigan in the mid-1800s and later to become mayor of Detroit , reported on the copper deposits in 1841. The first successful copper mine, the Cliff mine , began operations in 1845, and spurred by venture capital from Boston and other East Coast investors, many other mines quickly followed. Mining of

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384-596: The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor . He continued to reside in Detroit. He and his survey assistants spent many weeks in the field each season, mapping and evaluating Michigan's natural resources, and his personal influence with state legislators kept the project moving in the face of many financial difficulties. His fourth annual report, based on field work done in 1840, appeared February 1, 1841. It helped trigger

416-514: The 19th century. He was appointed in 1839 as the first state geologist of Michigan, after it was admitted to the union, and served in that position for the rest of his life. Douglass Houghton was born in Troy, New York , the son of Jacob Houghton, a lawyer and later a county judge, and Mary Lydia (Douglass). Raised in a close-knit, cultured home in Fredonia, New York , Douglass was a small person with

448-777: The Austrian Empire. Polish people also were attracted to this successful mining area. Thus the pattern in this boom period was first the Native Americans and people from the British Isles, French Canada and Western Europe, followed by people from the Nordic countries, and then by people from Southern and Eastern Europe. The Finns in particular stayed on and prospered even after the copper mines closed, while most moved on to other mining areas or homesteaded in other Midwestern states. The list of ethnic groups included

480-540: The Lake Superior copper deposits of Michigan's Upper Peninsula , and provided medical care to the Indian tribes they encountered. Houghton administered more than 2,000 smallpox vaccinations to Indians in the Chippewa region over the course of his two months exploring with Henry Schoolcraft in 1832, undoubtedly saving many Indian lives. Houghton estimated that the disease had appeared among the Chippewa at least five times in

512-642: The Michigan School of Mines. Finlandia University was affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America , reflecting the spiritual heritage of the region's many Finnish immigrants. Michigan Tech was founded in response to the needs of the copper mines. Industrial pollution leftover from the former mining operations remains a significant problem in the region. Copper processing produced enormous quantities of stamp sand as

544-590: The Nonesuch mine was completely stripped of its machinery, which was brought to the dock in Union Bay to be shipped to other mines in the area. A few stayed in town after the mine shut down and logged or farmed to make a living. In 1906 The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company brought 200 tons of mining equipment to Nonesuch and explored the area. They eventually opened a mine in the Nonesuch shale at White Pine , three miles due east of Nonesuch. Four years later in 1912,

576-543: The aforementioned Nordic peoples , Chinese ; Cornish ; Croatians ; French Canadians ; Germans ; Irish ; Italians ; Native Americans ; Poles ; and Slovenes . Popular tourist destinations include the cities of Copper Harbor , Houghton , and the Porcupine Mountains with Lake of the Clouds. Snowmobiling is very popular in the winter, and snowmobile trails are found in most areas. The Copper Country

608-452: The age of 36. He had multiple skills to apply, but he was not always successful in reconciling the conflicting demands of the various roles he filled. As a scientist his potential seems to have been considerable, but his death prevented that potential from being fully realized. Laudatory biographies are: A brief introduction to Houghton and the Lake Superior copper deposits can be found in: A revisionary history of Houghton's geological work

640-478: The continental United States. 46°56′N 88°48′W  /  46.94°N 88.8°W  / 46.94; -88.8 Douglass Houghton Douglass Houghton (September 21, 1809 – October 13, 1845) was an American geologist and physician, primarily known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan . It was the site of a copper boom and extensive copper mining beginning in

672-455: The copper mined turned out to be native, pure copper. Nevertheless, Houghton's report prompted a major rush of settlers to the peninsula. Houghton's place in American history is somewhat problematic. Although he was the state geologist of Michigan for eight years, he never completed a comprehensive final report of his findings. One major reason may have been his early and unexpected death at

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704-584: The copper ore then being mined in Cornwall . His warning against prospectors rushing to the area in hopes of striking it rich became famous during the copper boom: "look closely before the step is taken, which will most certainly end in disappointment and ruin". However, to his death Houghton never came to realize that in the Keweenaw ores like those in Cornwall were present in vanishingly small amounts, and all

736-602: The first great mining boom of American history, and earned him the title of "father of copper mining in the United States". He was a founding member and treasurer of the Association of American Geologists and Naturalists (the predecessor of the American Association for the Advancement of Science ) and served on several of its committees. A lifelong Episcopalian and staunch Democrat , he was elected to

768-418: The latter half of the 19th century and the early 20th century, the area was the world's greatest producer of copper. Copper Country is highly unusual among mining districts in that the copper mined was predominantly in its elemental (" native ") form, rather than in the form of compounds (mostly oxides and sulfides) that form the basis of the copper ore at almost every other copper-mining district. Supporting

800-545: The most productive deposit, the Calumet conglomerate, began in 1865. Mining took place along a belt that stretched about 100 miles southwest to northeast. While mining in Copper Country continues to this day, it is on a much smaller scale than before, with tourism and logging having taken over as the area's largest industries. Initially, Irish, Cornish, French-Canadian and German immigrants came to mine copper on

832-407: The natural world. One of the first acts of the new Michigan state government was to organize a state geological survey , following a pattern already established in other states. Houghton's appointment as the first state geologist was unanimously hailed, and he occupied that position for the remainder of his life. In 1839 he was also named the first professor of geology, mineralogy, and chemistry at

864-486: The peninsula. They were followed by large numbers of Finns , Swedes , Danes , Sámi and Norwegians who immigrated to the Upper Peninsula, especially the Keweenaw Peninsula , to work in the mines. The immigration of people from Finland peaked from 1899 to World War I. Slovenes, Croatians, and Italians emigrated from about 1880, the first two groups sometimes called Austrians as their homelands were then part of

896-499: The previous 60 years. In 1833 Houghton married his childhood friend Harriet Stevens; they had two daughters together. He established a flourishing medical practice in Detroit and earned the affectionate description: "the little doctor, our Dr. Houghton". By 1836 he had largely set aside the medical profession to concentrate on real estate speculation. His scientific interests remained strong, however. As Michigan achieved statehood in 1837, Houghton returned to public life and his love of

928-765: The time was ever completed. Although Houghton resided in Detroit during his years in Michigan, he is strongly associated with the Keweenaw Peninsula. He explored the area in 1831 and 1832, and conducted a survey of the peninsula in 1840 as State Geologist of the newly formed state. Houghton's 1841 survey report was 88 pages in length; for more than 27 pages he discussed the copper and copper ore he had seen in his travels. He famously concluded, "the copper ores are not only of superior quality, but also that their associations are such as to render them easily reduced". He noted that samples of ore he had tested were richer than

960-489: The youthful Houghton. He was enthusiastically received in Detroit and rapidly became one of its best-known citizens, with the young men of his acquaintance soon styling themselves "the Houghton boys". Houghton quickly was selected by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft , US Indian Agent and geologist, to act as physician-naturalist on expeditions through Lake Superior and the upper Mississippi valley in 1831 and 1832. On these trips Houghton did extensive botanical collecting, investigated

992-412: Was emphasized, particularly in geology. That same year he received both the bachelor's degree and a teaching appointment in chemistry and natural history at the school. He also studied medicine with a doctor friend of his family, and in 1831 received a license to practice. In 1830 the city fathers of Detroit consulted with Eaton about their search for a public lecturer on science; he strongly recommended

Nonesuch Mine - Misplaced Pages Continue

1024-420: Was ultimately the reason for the mine's repeated failures. It was very difficult to separate the fine copper from the surrounding rock. As was common practice in the Copper Country, the ore was crushed in a stamp mill and concentrated by gravity. However, the gravity separators of the time could not efficiently separate the fine copper particles, and much copper was lost in the waste tailings. By February 1887,

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