Quincy Smelter
Encyclopedia
The Quincy Smelter is the only remaining copper smelter remaining in the Lake Superior
region. It is located north of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge
in Ripley, Michigan
. It was operated by the Quincy Mine
until 1972 and processed ore from 13 local mines.
There is currently controversy over what should be done with the land which is currently owned by Franklin Township. The EPA and National Park Service want to turn the site into a historical self-tour or fishing and picnicking area. Other ideas include creating a restaurant, shops, or condos on the site and moving the Houghton headquarters for Isle Royal National Park to the site.
A fire destroyed the carpentry shop and damaged a wood storage lean-to on the site in September 2010. In early 2011, parts of the site were inventoried and made more secure. In the summer of 2011, $1 million in federal Interior Department funding will allow additional site to be inventoried, stabilized, and secured.
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
region. It is located north of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge
Portage Lake Lift Bridge
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge connects the cities of Hancock and Houghton, Michigan, USA, across Portage Lake, a portion of the waterway which cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula with a canal linking the final several miles to Lake Superior to the northwest...
in Ripley, Michigan
Ripley, Michigan
Ripley is a small, unincorporated community in Franklin Township situated upon a slope, just east of Hancock on M-26 and across the Portage Lake Canal from Houghton....
. It was operated by the Quincy Mine
Quincy Mine
The Quincy Mine is an extensive set of copper mines located near Hancock, Michigan. The mine was owned by the Quincy Mining Company and operated between 1846 and 1945, although some activities continued through the 1970s. The Quincy Mine was known as "Old Reliable," as the Quincy Mine Company paid...
until 1972 and processed ore from 13 local mines.
There is currently controversy over what should be done with the land which is currently owned by Franklin Township. The EPA and National Park Service want to turn the site into a historical self-tour or fishing and picnicking area. Other ideas include creating a restaurant, shops, or condos on the site and moving the Houghton headquarters for Isle Royal National Park to the site.
A fire destroyed the carpentry shop and damaged a wood storage lean-to on the site in September 2010. In early 2011, parts of the site were inventoried and made more secure. In the summer of 2011, $1 million in federal Interior Department funding will allow additional site to be inventoried, stabilized, and secured.