“Adventure doesn’t come to you, you have to go out and find it.”
– Unknown
July 21, 2024
The Keweenaw Peninsula has been shaped by copper for over 8,000 years. Indigenous peoples used copper to make tools and trade items. Europeans began settling in the area and in the 1800s. Shortly after a mineral rush led to the development of the peninsula's mining industry.
Located twelve miles south of Copper Harbor along Highway 41, the Delaware Copper Mine is one of the oldest copper mines on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula. The mine dates back to 1847 and operated 40 years during the country's first major mining boom. Over 8 million tons of copper were harvested from the mine's five shafts. Sadly, the mine never turned a profit for its investors.
Today, visitors can take self-guided tours inside the mine and on its grounds. We started our tour by watching a brief video and then putting on hard hats before being led down 100 feet of stairs into the #1 shaft to the first level of the mine. From there we walked about 1700 feet through the tunnel, stopping to read informative signs along the way. We saw pure veins of copper in the walls of the tunnel along with a lot of original mining artifacts.
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To see a video of our walk through the mine, click here for our YouTube Channel.
After exiting the mine we explored a trail taking us past the ruins of two original mine buildings and displays of equipment including antique engines that were used in the mining process.
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Last, we explored a trail leading to a recently discovered prehistoric mine pit located along the entry road to the mine property.
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| Prehistorc Mine Pit |
There are other copper mines in the area, such as the Quincy Mine in Houghton, the Painesdale Mine and the Adventure Mine in Greenland, at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Keweenaw National Historical Park in Calumet has a visitor center where you can learn all about the history of copper mining in the area.
* All photos and videos are the property of the owners unless otherwise noted. *
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