Homer-Wauseca Mine

Past Producer in Iron county in Michigan, United States with commodity Iron
Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Public Land Survey System information
  6. Commodities
  7. Materials information
  8. Alteration
  9. Mineral occurrence model information
  10. Host and associated rocks
  11. Nearby scientific data
  12. Geologic structures
  13. Controls for ore emplacement
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Land status
  17. Ownership information
  18. Production statistics
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10079406
MRDS ID W028933
Record type Site
Current site name Homer-Wauseca Mine
Alternate or previous names Homer Mine

Comments on the site names

  • HOMER-WAUSECA MINE SHAFT DREW ORE FROM THE HOMER MINE (W 1/2 OF NW), THE WAUSECA MINE (SW OF NE AND SE OF NW), MINCKLER MINE (NW OF SE) AND HOMER-WAUSECA (N 1/2 OF SW)

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -88.65699, 46.11556 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Iron(county)

Michigan(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Iron River(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Iron River(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Iron River(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Brule(hydrologic unit)

Northwestern Lake Michigan(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northwestern Lake Michigan(hydrologic subregion)

Great Lakes(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Michigan Iron

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Michigan 043N 035W 23 NW OF SW Michigan
NE OF SW Michigan

Comments on the location information

  • CENTERED ON SHAFT IN NW OF NW OF SECTION 23.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • MEDIUM RED BROWN HIGH PHOSPHORUS NON BESSEMER HEMATITE

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Hematite Ore
Goethite Ore
Chert Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Stilpnomelane Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Mica Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Chert and siderite to hematite and goethite in oxidation zones.

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 241
USGS model code 34a
Deposit model name Superior Fe (BC name is Lake Superior & Rapitan types iron-formation)

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Stambaugh Formation
    Rock description Stambaugh Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type
    Rock unit name Hiawatha Graywacke
    Rock description Hiawatha Graywacke
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation
    Rock unit name Riverton Iron-Formation
    Rock description Riverton Iron-Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -88.65699, 46.11556

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Major troughs; regional trends: E-W, NE-SW, NW-SE, forming triangle.
Type of structure Local
Structure description Troughs into which Iron formation has slumped.

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Stratigraphically controlled, fault related.

Comments on the geologic information

  • IRON ORE IS FROM RIVERTON IRON FM. N45, N40, N35, N30 LIST FMS. OF SIGNIFICANCE DIRECTLY ABOVE AND DIRECTLY BELOW IRON FORMATION. STAMBAUGH FM. IS ESPECIALLY USED TO TRACE IRON FM. AS STAMBAUGH IS MAGNETIC AND EASILY TRACED BELOW SURFACE GLACIAL DRIFT.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Year of first production 1947
Year of last production 1969

Mining district

District name Iron River-Crystal Falls Area of the Menominee Iron District (Range)

Land status

Ownership category Private

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner The Hanna Mining Co.

Production statistics

  • Year 1950
    Period 1915-1950
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 6885432mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fe Iron Iron 51wt-pct
  • Year 1971
    Period 1915-1971
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 17773904mt
    Accuracy Accurate

Comments on the production information

  • ORE IS MEDIUM, RED-BROWN, HIGH PHOSPHORUS, NON-BESSEMER HEMATITE. GRADE SHIPPED. GRADE GIVEN IS AVERAGE OF PRODUCTION ANALYSIS FOR YEARS 1916, 1919, 1922 AND 1926. SECOND ITEM LISTED IS FOR HOMER GROUP OPERATION AFTER 1950.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • REMAINING IRON FORMATION IS NOT COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.

Comments on the workings information

  • UNDERGROUND SUB LEVEL STOPING. CLOSED BETWEEN 1969 AND 1972. SUB-LEVEL STOPING USING 1 SHAFT ON THIS 40 ACRES WITH 109 MAIN HAULAGE LEVELS; HOMER MINE SHAFT ALSO ACCESSED THE LOWER LEVELS OF THE CARDIFF MINE ORE BODY. DRIFTS THAT CONNECTED TO HOMER-WAUSECA MINE TO THE EAST ON 8,9, & 10 LEVELS WERE SEALED WITH MASSIVE CONCRETE PLUGS; NEAR SURFACE STOPES NE OF SHAFT SITE HAVE CAVED AND MINE WASTE ROCK HAS BEEN DUMPED IN CAVED AREA THAT WAS FENCED.

Comments on development

  • BUFFALO IRON MINING CO., HANNA IRON ORE CO.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OPENED 1914, SHIPPED 1915 THROUGH 1950, EXCEPT 1931-1932 AND 1934. OPERATION AFTER 1950 IS REPORTED AS HOMER GROUP OPERATION, WHICH INCLUDED CARDIFF, MINCKLER AND SOUTH HOMER MINES, AND WAS FINALLY EXHAUSTED IN 1971. FORMERLY OPERATED BY BUFFALO IRON MINING CO., LATER BY HANNA IRON ORE CO. WORKED BY SUB-STOPING METHOD, UNDERGROUND. CARDIFF MINE SHIPPED 1922-1923 AND WAS A PART OF HOMER OPERATION (SEE SEPARATE REPORT, THIS FILE).

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-1980 Yeager, Keith (Cannon, W.) Michigan Geological Survey Division
Updater 01-MAR-1997 Sutphin, D.M. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 01-MAY-1997 Mason Jr., G.T. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 10-AUG-2001 Anderson, Arlene (M. Gere) Michigan Department of Natural Resources

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.