John Munro Longyear
John Munro Longyear Sr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Lansing, Michigan, U.S. |
| Died | May 28, 1922 (aged 72) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, mining executive |
| Known for | Development of timber and mineral resources in Michigan and Minnesota; founding Arctic Coal Company; establishing Longyearbyen |
John Munro Longyear Sr. (April 15, 1850 – May 28, 1922) was a prominent American entrepreneur who played a significant role in developing timber and mineral resources in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Minnesota. He was instrumental in establishing the Arctic Coal Company, which operated coal exploration and extraction activities on Spitsbergen between 1905 and 1916. This enterprise founded a settlement initially called Longyear City, now known as Longyearbyen, located near Advent Bay.
Biography
Longyear was born in Lansing, Michigan, to U.S. Congressman John Wesley Longyear and Harriet Munro. He had three siblings—two brothers and a sister. Through his maternal lineage, he was reportedly descended from William Munroe, a Scottish American soldier. During his youth, Longyear experienced health difficulties, including episodes of exhaustion.
At 23 years old, he relocated to Marquette, Michigan, where he dedicated more than two decades to gaining expertise in identifying iron ore deposits suitable for mining. Among the mines he helped develop was one in Iron Mountain, which grew to become one of the largest underground mining operations in the United States. Around 1890, he co-established the Huron Mountain Club near Big Bay, Michigan, acting as its inaugural president.
In 1906, Longyear partnered with Frederick Ayer and other investors to create the Arctic Coal Company. As the principal owner based in Boston, he had previously visited Svalbard in 1901 and acquired the Trondhjem Spitsbergen Kulkompani in that same year.
By 1916, Norwegian capitalists formed Store Norske Spitsbergen Kulkompani and purchased the Spitsbergen mining interests from Arctic Coal Company as well as from Ayer and Longyear. This new company expanded coal mining operations around Advent Valley and at Sveagruva, which had originally been established by Swedish interests.
Personal life
At age 45 in 1895, Longyear was described as tall with black-and-gray hair and eyes of a brownish-gray hue.
On January 4, 1879, in Battle Creek, Michigan, he wed Mary Beecher Longyear (born Mary Hawley Beecher; 1851–1931), a Christian Scientist and philanthropist recognized for her contribution to publishing the first braille edition of the King James Bible. The couple had seven children: Judith F., Robert D., Howard M., Abby B. Roberts, Helen M. Paul, John B., and John M. Jr. Some accounts mention only five children, likely due to the premature deaths of Howard at age 20 and John B. during infancy. The family occasionally employed a nurse named Angela Nerling.
In the early twentieth century, Longyear moved from Michigan—where they resided in a stone mansion on Lake Superior—to Massachusetts. To alleviate his wife's reluctance about leaving their home, he orchestrated the dismantling of their mansion and its transportation by rail over 1,300 miles for reassembly at their new residence in Brookline in 1903. Longyear lived there until his passing on May 28, 1922.
Legacy
Several locations bear Longyear’s name: Longyearbyen, Longyear River, and Longyear Valley in Svalbard; the Longyear Hall of Pedagogy at Northern Michigan University; the Longyear Building in Marquette, Michigan; and the J. M. Longyear Research Library within the Marquette Regional History Center.
In recognition of his contributions to mining history, Longyear was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame in 2005.
Additional resources
External links
- The Longyear Story: Mary and John Longyear Longyear Museum
- Visual Journey through Svalbard, featuring Longyearbyen: Photo essay 4/2014