Mohawk Mining Company

Mohawk Mining Company

Company type	Private
Industry	Copper mining
Founded	November 1898
Founder	Joseph E. Gay
Defunct	1932
Fate	Purchased by Copper Range Company in 1934
Headquarters	New York City , United States
Area served	Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, United States
Key people	John Stanton (President, 1898–1906), Joseph E. Gay (President, 1906–?), John R. Stanton (President, ?–c.1916/1918)
Products	Copper, mohawkite
Number of employees	Approximately 1,000 (circa 1909)

The Mohawk Mining Company was a prominent copper mining enterprise situated on Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, active from its establishment in November 1898 until its closure in 1932. Over the period from 1906 to 1932, the firm distributed dividends exceeding $15 million to its investors. The mine was particularly noted for its significant mohawkite mineral occurrences. Following the shutdown in 1932, the Copper Range Company purchased the property in 1934.

Formation

Initially overlooked due to its location on the eastern side, the area attracted interest in 1896 when lumberman Ernest Koch uncovered copper deposits. The company was officially formed in November 1898 after founder Joseph E. Gay's successful copper prospecting earlier that year. At its inception, John Stanton held the position of president.

Stock shares were offered at $7.50 each, with total capitalization set at $2.5 million divided into 100,000 shares. By the close of 1899, the shareholder base numbered 594. The main corporate office was established at 11-13 William Street, New York.

In 1899, following a capital injection of $7,517.50 dedicated to development efforts, construction commenced with the sinking of shafts numbered 1, 2, and 3. Each shaft incorporated three compartments including skipways along with separate pipe and ladder access routes. Shafts 2 and 3 were outfitted with Ingersoll Sergeant air compressors and Rand drills designed for underground operations. A fourth shaft was added in 1901.

Initial Development

In January 1900, a novel copper ore type was identified within Shaft No. 1; this ore was subsequently named mohawkite by George A. Koenig from the Michigan College of Mines. That same year, Mohawk Mining Company acquired the Hebard Stone Quarry, its Traverse Bay dock facility, and the connecting narrow gauge railway line, which was extended to reach the mine and later converted to standard gauge in 1902. The dock infrastructure was strengthened to accommodate ore shipments and supply deliveries.

Construction of the Mohawk stamp mill began in 1901 and became operational by December 1902. Built using Hebard Quarry sandstone, the mill housed three sets of stamps capable of processing up to 500 tons per day each. Adjacent to the mill, a community emerged that developed into the town of Gay, named after company president Joseph E. Gay.

By 1904, work commenced on Shaft No. 5, while shafts 1, 2, and 4 were equipped with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists. A power generation plant was constructed in 1906 between shafts No. 1 and No. 2. That year also marked the issuance of the company's first dividends: $2.00 per share in January followed by $3.00 in July. After President John Stanton passed away in February 1906, Joseph E. Gay took over leadership responsibilities.

By 1909, Mohawk employed approximately 1,000 workers and led Keweenaw County’s copper output while standing as the sole dividend-paying mine in the region. By 1910, a sixth shaft had been introduced.

1913–14 Labor Strike

On July 23, 1913, operations at Mohawk Mine halted due to a strike organized by unionized miners from Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon Counties. The labor action demanded increased wages, an eight-hour workday, and reinstatement of two-man drill crews; prior to this strike miners endured ten-hour shifts including breaks.

Before the strike began, Mohawk employed around 686 men; however, only about 102 returned when work resumed in January 1914, increasing to roughly 400 by February. By May full production recommenced with a workforce of approximately 711 employees. Following the resolution of the strike, Mohawk adopted an eight-hour workday as standard practice.

Expansion of the mine

In March 1910, the company expanded its holdings by purchasing land from the Ahmeek Mining Company, allowing the No. 3 shaft to extend down to 2,800 feet—significantly deeper than the previous limit of 1,600 feet due to the shaft’s 36-degree incline. By 1923, growth continued as Mohawk Mining Company absorbed both the Wolverine Copper Mining Company and Michigan Copper Company. Further consolidation occurred in 1929 with the acquisition of Mass Consolidated Mining Company, which united several smaller mining operations.

Mohawk community

The mine’s presence catalyzed the establishment of the town of Mohawk, which initially included a blacksmith shop, the Petermann Store (a carpentry business founded in 1899), and a church constructed by Norwegian immigrants in 1902. In 1907, this church was sold to Catholic Missionaries and renamed St. Mary's Church. Additionally, Mohawk Methodist Episcopal Church was established in 1905. The Mohawk Bank commenced operations in 1907 with an initial capital of $25,000. Ownership of the blacksmith shop changed hands during the strike of 1913.

Leadership

When founded in 1898, John Stanton held the presidency of Mohawk Mine while also presiding over Wolverine Copper Mining Company. Fred Smith had been serving as Superintendent for both mines since 1892. Following Stanton’s passing in 1906, Joseph E. Gay assumed the presidency, later replaced by Stanton’s son, John R. Stanton.

Position	Individual	Tenure
President	John Stanton	Nov 1898 – Feb 23, 1906
President	Joseph E. Gay	Feb 23, 1906 – ?
President	John R. Stanton	? – ~1916/1918
President	Lunsford P. Yandell	? – ~1922/1926
Secretary-Treasurer	John R. Stanton	Nov 1898 – ? (~1904)
Secretary-Treasurer	George W. Drucker	? – ~1918
Treasurer	R. E. Graver	? – ~1922
Secretary	F. G. Heumann	? – ~1922
Director	John Stanton	Nov 1898 – Feb 23, 1906
Director	Joseph E. Gay	Nov 1898 – ? (~1904)
Director	John R. Stanton	Nov 1898 – ?
Director	William A. Paine	Nov 1898 – ? (~1922)
Director	Fred Smith	Nov 1898 – 1913
Director	James S. Dunstan	? – ~1922
Director	F. W. Denton	? – ~1922
Director	Lunsford P. Yandell	? – ~1922

? Denotes incomplete records for exact dates

~ Indicates approximate timeframes

Mining shafts

All shafts were excavated at an angle of 36 degrees from vertical.

Mohawk No. 1

Built in 1899 as one of the original trio of shafts, No. 1 shaft is distinguished by the initial discovery of mohawkite in 1900. By 1902, it had reached a depth of 800 feet and was outfitted in 1904 with a Nordberg Conical Drum Hoist designed for depths up to 6,000 feet. The shaft was deepened to 1,700 feet by 1908 and extended further to 2,693 feet by 1916 when mining activities ceased due to ore exhaustion. A resurgence in copper prices in 1918 led to renewed operations until 1922, during which time it attained its greatest depth of 2,896 feet on level 26. The shaft reopened again in 1926 alongside No. 4 shaft to provide ore for milling and ultimately became the deepest shaft at a final depth of 3,017 feet before closing permanently in 1932.

Mohawk No. 2

Established in 1899, the No. 2 shaft was equipped with an Ingersoll Sergeant air compressor paired with Rand drills. By 1902, it had reached a depth of 700 feet and featured a Nordberg Conical Drum Hoist by 1904. The shaft extended further to 1,575 feet by 1908 and was yielding between 450 and 500 tons of ore daily by 1914. Operations at this shaft ended sometime between 1914 and 1924.

Mohawk No. 3

The third shaft, also dating back to 1899, initially measured approximately 472.5 feet deep and was fitted with a larger Ingersoll Sergeant air compressor alongside Rand drills. It was deepened to 667.5 feet by 1901, reaching 950 feet in 1906 and then 1,225 feet by 1908. After acquiring additional property in 1910, the shaft could have extended up to a maximum depth of 2,800 feet due to angular limitations. Nevertheless, the No. 3 shaft was abandoned in May of 1914.

Mohawk No. 4

Constructed in 1901, the No. 4 shaft achieved a depth of 501 feet within that year and was outfitted in 1904 with Nordberg Conical Drum Hoists capable of operating at depths up to 6,000 feet. By 1906, its depth reached 900 feet and extended further to 1,175 feet by 1908. Daily ore production ranged between 450 and 500 tons in 1914. The shaft hit its boundary at a depth of 2,832 feet by 1922 and continued functioning until closure in 1924. It resumed operations in 1926 together with No. 1 shaft to provide ore until the mine’s final shutdown in 1932.

Mohawk No. 5

Developed in 1904 to tap into rich ore bodies, the No. 5 shaft reached depths of 300 feet by 1906 and extended to 575 feet by 1908, utilizing a Bullock Hoist transferred from Wolverine No. 4. In 1914, production hovered between 450 and 500 tons daily, accompanied by the addition of a new shaft house featuring a concrete collar that same year. The shaft ceased operations on November 4, 1922, after reaching a depth of 1,874 feet.

Mohawk No. 6

Initiated in January of 1910, the No. 6 shaft encountered copper seams at around 210 feet and was producing approximately 300 tons daily by the year 1914. Significant copper yields came from two fissure veins identified between levels seven through eleven—amounting to about 574,600 pounds in 1917. This shaft remained the only active one from the mine’s closure period in 1924 until shafts No.1 and No.4 reopened in 1926. Due to water infiltration issues at the twenty-fourth level, a pumping station was installed. By that year, the shaft had reached a depth of roughly 2,504 feet and stayed operational until the mine closed in 1932.

Copper production

The operational strategy at Mohawk Mine emphasized producing copper at costs below market rates to maintain profitability. In the year 1907, production expenses were recorded at approximately 11.74 cents per pound while selling prices stood at about 15.66 cents per pound—generating profits near $396,205 from over ten million pounds produced. Similarly, in 1910, costs were maintained at roughly11.44 cents per pound with sales averaging around13.09 cents per pound per pound sold . The peak financial outcome occurred during World War I in1918 when copper prices surged to approximately24.73 cents per pound; despite increased costs rising to about14.64 cents per pound , profits reached nearly $1.15 million on more than eleven million pounds produced.

Year	Pounds	Kilograms
1902	226,824	102,886
1903	6,284,327	2,850,523
1904	8,149,515	3,696,558
1905	9,387,614	4,258,150
1906	9,352,252	4,242,110
1907	10,107,266	4,584,579
1908	10,295,881	4,670,133
1909	11,248,474	5,102,222
1910	11,412,066	5,176,426
1911	12,091,056	5,484,411
1912	11,995,598	5,441,112
1913	5,778,235	2,620,963
1914	11,094,859	5,032,543
1915	15,882,914	7,204,369
1916	13,834,034	6,275,012
1917	12,313,887	5,585,485
1918	10,781,041	4,890,198

Some values for later years are approximations

Mohawkite

Mohawkite, initially identified in January 1901 near the No. 1 shaft on the site, is a copper ore and a mineral species that has since been discredited. This uncommon rock primarily contains copper arsenides ranging from Cu3As to Cu6As, along with minor amounts of nickel, cobalt, and approximately 20 ounces of silver per ton. Around 70 tons were transported to Swansea, New York, for processing, producing roughly $140 per ton. The elevated arsenic levels rendered traditional smelting methods unsafe for mohawkite, prompting the establishment of a dedicated smelting facility at Hackensack Meadows, New Jersey, which became operational in late 1901. Additional veins found south of the No. 2 shaft yielded close to 230,000 pounds of mohawkite. By 1902, a total of 700 tons had been processed under an agreement obligating the Mohawk Mining Company to deliver a minimum of 100 tons monthly over a three-year span.

Dividend record

Between 1906 and 1932, the Mohawk Mining Company consistently issued dividends, reflecting its steady financial growth and profitability. Notable dividend payments include:

Year	Total Amount (USD)	Dividend per Share (USD)
1906	$500,000	$5.00
1907	$900,000	$9.00
1908	$250,000	$2.50
1915	$600,000	$6.00
1916	$1,700,000	$17.00
1917	$2,050,000	$20.50
1918	$1,000,000	$10.00
1929	$919,000	—
1932	$1,120,750	—

These dividend distributions highlight the company’s robust position in the mining sector and its effective operational strategy throughout this era.

See also

• Copper mining in Michigan
• List of Copper Country mines