Wakefield Mine

Past Producer in Gogebic 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. Controls for ore emplacement
  13. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  14. Mining district
  15. Land status
  16. Production statistics
  17. Bibliographic references
  18. General comments
  19. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10080410
MRDS ID W031543
Record type Site
Current site name Wakefield Mine

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -89.95149, 46.46917 (WGS84)

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Gogebic(county)

Michigan(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Wakefield(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Wakefield(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Iron River(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Black-Presque Isle(hydrologic unit)

Southcentral Lake Superior(hydrologic accounting unit)

Southern Lake Superior(hydrologic subregion)

Great Lakes(hydrologic region)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Michigan Gogebic

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Michigan 047N 045W 17 NE OF SW Michigan
NW OF SW Michigan

Comments on the location information

  • CENTERED BETWEEN TWO DEWATERING SHAFTS WITHIN THE OPEN PIT IN NW OF SE OF SEC 17.

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • CHERT, (SPORADIC FLINT), LOCAL PYRITE, DISSEMINATED MARTITE, QUARTZITE INTERBEDS.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Hematite Ore
Chert Gangue
Pyrite Gangue
Martite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Chert to hematite 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 Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation
    Rock unit name Ironwood Iron-Formation
    Rock description Ironwood Iron-Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -89.95149, 46.46917

Economic information

Controls for ore emplacement

  • Structural-footwall and cross-cutting dikes forming ore troughs.

Comments on the geologic information

  • GRANULAR CHERT FACIES IRON FORMATION

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Operation type Surface-Underground
Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Large
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1912
Year of first production 1913
Year of last production 1959
Production years WAKEFILED MINE CLOSED IN 1959.

Mining district

District name Gogebic Range

Land status

Ownership category Private

Production statistics

  • Year 1958
    Period 1913-1958
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 14098016mt
    Accuracy Accurate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major Fe Iron Iron 52wt-pct

Comments on the production information

  • ORE IS SOFT, RED AND DARK BROWN, NON-BESSEMER HEMATITE AND IS GRADE SHIPPED. GRADE GIVEN IS AN AVERAGE OF FIVE GRADES SHIPPED, DERIVED FROM PRODUCTION ANALYSIS FIGURES FROM 1914, 1916, 1919, 1922, 1926, 1929.

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • REMAINING IRON FORMATION IS NOT COMMERCIALLY VIABLE.

Comments on the workings information

  • OPEN PIT WITH LONG UNDERGROUND DRIFT AT 398' LEVEL WITH 3 SHAFTS

Comments on development

  • WAS DISCOVERED AFTER UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS TO THE NORTH AT MIKADO & PILGRIMS MINES, ORE WAS SHIFTED TO SOUTH BY A FAULT

Reference information

Bibliographic references

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit OPENED 1913, SHIPPED EVERY YEAR THROUGH 1944 EXCEPT 1921 AND 1932. SHIPPED AGAIN (PRESUMABLY FROM STOCKPILE) FROM 1956-1958. INITIALLY OPERATED BY WAKEFIELD IRON CO., LATER BY HANNA IRON ORE CO., (M.A. HANNA CO., AGENT). OPEN PIT WAS EXHAUSTED IN 1944. FORMERLY INCLUDED THE N 1/2 OF SW OF SECTION 16, WHICH BECAME PART OF PLYMOUTH MINE PROPERTY, CALLED PLYMOUTH-LOOMIS.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-JUN-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 07-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.