A historical note, A. L. Burgan, retired as the Superintendent of the Ahmeek Mill, of C&H Consolidated Mining Company. He was a second generation Copper Countryite, having been born of parents (England) that had first come to the Phoenix Mines (then to Torch Lake). He received a Masters Degree in EE from U of M, in 1896, subsequently , in October, 1896, thru May, 1900, he was employed as Assistant Mill Superintendent of the Osceola Mining Co., and, Assistant Mill Superintendent for the Tamarack Mining Co.. At that time, the Osceola Mill was equipped with six heads and had been moved from Ripley, in 1885. (The Mill went out of service on Feb. 17, 1897). Following a short Superintendency of the Isle Royal Mine, he was appointed in April 1901, (after earning his Masters Degree), as Mill Superintendent of the Osceola Mining Co., and the Tamarack Mining Co., succeeding Charles H. Krause, who went to the Mass Mining Co. at Keweenaw Bay. When the Ahmeek Mill (with 4 heads) was built in 1906, and enlarged in 1910, all of the design and equipment was in the hands of A. L. Burgan, who was now Mill Superintendent. He remained as such until shortly before his death, in 1948. He also served on the Houghton County Board of Supervisors for 30 years, from 1911 to 1941, including 7 years as Chairman of the Board (1934-1941).
) Click picture to enlarge. One of two 150 ton locomotives on first trip to Tamarack and Osceola Mills. (Date unknown). |
) Click picture to enlarge. Tamarack & Osceola water pumping building. These pumps supplied 40 million gallons of water every 24 hours, for various operations. |
) Click picture to enlarge. Tamarack & Osceola Company office. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. This early steam driven electric generator unit, supplied electricity for all mines and processing units, and was probably 25 cycles. |
) Click picture to enlarge. Another view of the electric generating room, with controls at the right. |
) Click picture to enlarge. A view of one of the T & O's company offices. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. Children going & coming from area schools, often traveled back and forth by either the Houghton County Transit rail line, or, by various trains. (Mineral Range Depot). |
) Click picture to enlarge. A view of the Osceola Mill Round Table Concentrators, a type used in all the copper mine mineral concentration mills in the area |
) Click picture to enlarge. A view of the lower part of the stamping operations. Osceola jig concentrators. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. Another view of the Osceola Mill, stamping operations. |
) Click picture to enlarge. This is a view of the Tamarack Reclamation Plant, built just West of M26, and just West of Tamarack City. A bit later, a railroad access line would be built, that would input into the left end of the building. This recovery unit would input dredging from the new dredge units, being up old stamp sand from Torch Lake, reprocessing it, and returning the tailings to Torch Lake. |
) Click picture to enlarge. The Tamarack City new home of T & O, Inc. overall Mill Superintendent, A. L. Burgan. Notice the mill in the background (SW). By WWII, this unit had been not only ended, but had been torn down, leaving only concrete base forms. A very early dam and steam power unit, directly to the West of this home, was abandoned and demolished, in the early 1890's. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. During the 1941 Easter weekend, melting snowpack and heavy rainfall above Tamarack, brought water and debris down into the village after a railroad embankment gave way under the preasure due to culverts being blocked. This picture was taken shortly after the runoff subsided. This is M26. |
) Click picture to enlarge. This story ran in the Daily Mining Gazette. |
) Click picture to enlarge. A side street in Tamarack, following the flood. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. During the flood, crews and residents on M26, attempt to redirect the flow of water, away from homes and businesses. Note the Stamp Mill on the right. |
) Click picture to enlarge. Another view. |
) Click picture to enlarge. On the upper streets, sand bags were used to try to redirect the water, some 40 million gallons. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. An early 1900's winter scene, of the Torch Lake area. |
) Click picture to enlarge. A winter view of a passenger train in the Hubbell / Tamarack area. Primary transportation, including school children, was by either trains, or, the Houghton County Transit Authority (electric trolley cars). |
) Click picture to enlarge. With a stamp mill in the background, some sort of celebration, or gathering, was being held. Note no fence around the yard. |
||||
) Click picture to enlarge. This photo, was obviously taken about the same celebration, perhaps the Fourth of July, but later in time, note the fence now in the yard, and a change in the background. |
) Click picture to enlarge. Assay Lab, Osceola Mill. |
) Click picture to enlarge. Winter at the Tamarack and Osceola Stamp Mill, M26, Tamarack. |
||||
| [Digital enhancement: Roland Burgan] | ||||||
|
||||||