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Republic Mine

Past Producer in Marquette county in Michigan, United States with commodity Iron
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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. Ore body information
  14. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  15. Mining district
  16. Ownership information
  17. Production statistics
  18. Workings at the site
  19. Bibliographic references
  20. General comments
  21. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10082773
MRDS ID W062123
Record type Site
Current site name Republic Mine
Alternate or previous names West Republic Mine
Related records 10122387

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -87.9767, 46.39667 (WGS84)
Elevation 488

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Marquette(county)

Michigan(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Republic(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Gwinn(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Marquette(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Michigamme(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 Marquette

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
T46N R29W 7 ALL Michigan

Comments on the location information

  • LAT/LON IS FOR APPROXIMATE CENTER

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Iron Primary

Comments on the commodity information

  • ORE WAS HARD, SPECULAR, BESSEMER, AND NON-BESSEMER. CRUSHED AND LUORE WAS HARD, SPECULAR, BESSEMER, AND NON-BESSEMER. CRUSHED AND LUMP ORE WERE SHIPPED.

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Magnetite Ore
Goethite Ore
Quartz Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Siderite Gangue
Ankerite Gangue
Greenalite Gangue
Minnesotaite Gangue
Stilpnomelane Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Some magnetite formed by replacement of ferrous iron minerals during diagenesis and most iron silicate probably formed by metamorphism of an early silicate mineral.

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 Plutonic Rock > Mafic Intrusive Rock > Diorite > Diabase
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Precambrian
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Iron Formation
    Rock unit name Negaunee Iron-Formation
    Rock description Negaunee Iron-Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Paleoproterozoic

Nearby scientific data

(1) -87.9767, 46.39667
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Regional
Structure description Westward plunging synclinorium open at western end; regional trends are eas

Ore body information

  • General form STRATABOUND

Comments on the geologic information

  • IRON DEPOSITS OCCUR IN THE NEGAUNEE IRON-FORMATION OF THE MENOMINEE GROUP, PART OF THE MARQUETTE SUPERGROUP. THE IRON-FORMATION IS UNDERLAIN BY THE SIAMO SLATE, IRON DEPOSITS OCCUR IN THE NEGAUNEE IRON-FORMATION OF THE MENOMINEE GROUP, PART OF THE MARQUETTE SUPERGROUP. THE IRON-FORMATION IS UNDERLAIN BY THE SIAMO SLATE, A SERIES OF SLATE, SERICITE, CHLORITIC, AND FELDSPATHIC QUARTZITES, ARKOSE, AND GRAYWACKE WHICH RANGES FROM 3,000 FT THICK TO 1,000 FT IN THE SYNCLINORIUM AND DISAPPEARS IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF PALMER QUADRANGLE. NEGAUNEE IRON-FORMATION IS METASEDIMENTARY ROCK WHICH CONTAINS (1) SIDERITE, MAGNETITE, IRON SILICATES, AND CHERT OR (2) MIXTURES OF HEMATITE, MAGNETITE, AND CHERT. THE IRON-FORMATION IS BELIEVED TO HAVE FORMED BY CHEMICAL PRECIPITATION OF THE PRINCIPAL IRON MINERALS AND SILICA GEL. IT IS THE SOURCE OF IRON ORE MINED IN THE MARQUETTE RANGE AND IS OVERLAIN BY GOODRICH QUARTZITE. MAJOR W- TO NW-PLUNGING FOLDS OCCUR WITHIN THE MARQUETTE SYNCLINORIUM, AND MAJOR FAULTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOLDING.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Deposit size Medium
Significant No
Discovery year 1844
Year of first production 1872
Production years PRODUCED ORE 1872 TO 1926. SHIPPED FROM STOCKS IN 1937. REPUBLIC BECAME A TACONITE OPERATION IN 1956, BUT CLOSED IN 1983 AND WENT TO 'STANDBY' STATUS.

Mining district

District name Marquette Iron District

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Republic Iron Co.
    First year 1872
    Last year 1913
  • Type Operator
    Owner Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co.

Production statistics

  • Year 1889
    Period 1881-1889
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 135206mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1926
    Period 1872-1926
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 8700181mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1937
    Period 1872-1937
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 8564974mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1956
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 610mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1968
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 3048000mt
    Accuracy Accurate
  • Year 1981
    Period 1872-1981
    Material ore Fe
    Ore mined 72666421mt
    Accuracy Accurate

Workings at the site

  • Type of workings Surface/Underground
    Overall depth 886.97M
    Overall length 1200M

Comments on the workings information

  • WORKED BY THE OPEN STOPING AND SHRINKAGE METHOD. THE PASCOE SHAFT HAS HIGH-GRADE, HARD HEMATITE AND MAGNETITE ORE TO ITS DEPTH OF 2,910 FT. IT IS HOSTED IN JASPILITE.

Comments on development

  • ONE OF THE OLDEST OPEN PIT MINES IN THE MARQUETTE RANGE. AT THE OLD VOLUNTEER, CLIFFS SHAFT, CHAMPION, AND REPUBLIC MINES AND ELSEWHERE IN THE MARQUETTE RANGE, THE MINING OF HEMATITE BODIES IN THE IRON-FORMATION BENEATH THE NEGAUNEE-GOODRICH CONGLOMERATE CONTACT HAS BEEN EXTENDED INTO THE GOODRICH TO EXTRACT SUCH 'DETRITAL', 'CLASTIC' OR 'CONGLOMERATE' ORE, WHICH CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF ANCIENT PLACER HEMATITE DEPOSITS.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    JAMES, H. L., 1955, ZONES REG. METAMORPHISM. IN N. MICHIGAN.: GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICAN BULLETIN, V. 66, P. 1455-1488.

  • Deposit

    THE LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ASSOC., 1938, LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ORES.

  • Deposit

    LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ORE ASSOCIATION, 1952, LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ORES: CLEVELAND, OHIO, 2D ED., 334 P.

  • Deposit

    GRATON-SALES VOL. A. I. M. E., THE MARQUETTE DISTRICT: ORE DEPOSITS OF THE U. S., 1933-1967, P. 508-517.

  • Deposit

    LAURA, D.K., 1981, THE EARLY PROTEROZOIC PRE-IRON FORMATION, MENOMINEE GROUP SILICICLASTIC SEDIMENTS OF THE SOUTHERN LAKE SUPERIOR REGION; EVIDENCE FOR SEDIMENTATION IN PLATFORM AND BASINAL SETTINGS: JOURNAL OF SEDIMENTARY PETROLOGY, V. 51, NO. 2, P. 397-414.

  • Deposit

    SIMS, P.K., 1990, GEOLOGIC MAP OF THE PRECAMBRIAN ROCKS OF IRON MOUNTAIN AND ESCANABA 1 DEGREE X 2 DEGREES QUADRANGLES, NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN AND NORTHWESTERN MICHIGAN: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY MISCELLANEOUS INVESTIGATION SERIES, I-2056.

  • Deposit

    BOYUM, B.H. AND REED, R.C., 1988, MARQUETTE MINERAL DISTRICT OF MICHIGAN, MINING HISTORY AND GEOLOGY, IN SCHULZ, K.J., 34TH ANNUAL INSTITUTE ON LAKE SUPERIOR GEOLOGY FIELD TRIP GUIDEBOOKS, V. 34, PART 2, P. B-1-B-15.

  • Deposit

    BOYUM, B.H., 1988, THE ORIGIN AND EXTENT OF THE HARD AND SOFT IRON ORES OF THE MARQUETTE RANGE, MICHIGAN, IN KISVARSANYI, GEZA, AND GRANT, S.K., NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON TECTONIC CONTROL OF ORE DEPOSITS AND THE VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL EXTENT OF ORE SYSTEMS, PROCEEDINGS VOLUME: UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, ROLLA, P. 301-311.

  • Deposit

    MOST ALL OF THIS DISTRICT HAS BEEN MAPPED AT 7 1/2 MINUTE QUADRANGLE SIZE. TOO MANY GEOLOGISTS HAVE BEEN INVOLVED TO MENTION INDIVIDUALLY. GAIR, J.E., 1975, BEDROCK GEOLOGY AND ORE DEPOSITS OF THE PALMER QUADRANGLE, MARQUETTE COUNTY, MICHIGAN: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 769, 159 P.

  • Production

    LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ORE ASSOCIATION, 1952, LAKE SUPERIOR IRON ORES: CLEVELAND, OHIO, 2D ED., 75-92 P.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit REPUBLIC MINE OPENED IN 1870 AS A SERIES OF HARD ORE OPEN PITS, BUT FOLLOWED THE NEARLY VERTICAL DIPPING BEDS OF THE NEGAUNEE IRON FORMATION INTO UNDERGROUND OPERATIONS. REPUBLIC PIT IS DISTINCTIVE FOR ITS 'HIGH WALL', THE CONTACT OF UPPER PORTION OF THE IRON-FORMATION WITH THE METADIABASE SILL. THE CONTACT OF THE NEGAUNEE IRON-FORMATION AND THE OVERLYING GOODRICH QUARTZITE WAS MARKED BY AN EXTENSIVE CONGLOMERATE MADE UP OF JASPILITE. THIS CONGLOMERATE IS HIGHER IN TITANIUM THAN THE UNDERLYING NEGAUNEE FORMATION. AS THE OPEN PIT DEVELOPED, MINING THE IRON-FORMATION FROM THE METADIABASE FOOTWALL TO THE CONGLOMERATE AND GOODRICH QUARTZITE HANGING WALL, NUMEROUS UNDERGROUND WORKINGS WERE ENCOUNTERED. THESE OPENINGS WERE FILLED WITH BROKEN CRUDE ORE, SO THE DRILLS, TRUCKS, AND SHOVELS COULD WORK SAFELY.
Deposit DESCRIPTIVE (CANNON, 1986) AND GRADE AND TONNAGE (MOSIER AND SINGER, 1986) DEPOSIT MODELS OF SUPERIOR FE ARE IN COX AND SINGER, 1986, MINERAL DEPOSIT MODELS: U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY BULLETIN, 1693, P. 228-230. LARUE (1981) FOUND THAT CHEMICAL IRON SEDIMENTATION APPARENTLY TOOK PLACE WITH LITTLE REGARD TO BASINAL OR PLATFORM ENVIRONMENTS. BOTH ENVIRONMENTS SHOW PERIODS OF CHEMICAL-IRON SEDIMENTATION. HOWEVER, IN BOTH ENVIRONMENTS, DEPOSITION OF IRON WAS RESTRICTED TO PERIODS OF DETRITAL-SEDIMENT STARVATION.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-NOV-1972 Cannon, Suzanne S. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-NOV-1981 Schneider, Norma J. (Orris, Greta J.) U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-NOV-1995 Sutphin, D.M. (Cannon, W.F.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-1997 Sutphin, D.M. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 01-MAY-1997 Mason Jr., G.T. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 12-JAN-2004 Woodruff, Laurel G. U.S. Geological Survey MERGED RECORDS, DELETED W001395

Beyond USGS

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

Operator history (post-MRDS)

MRDS records operators as of each record's last update (≤ 2019). Some of the operators listed here have since changed hands or dissolved:

  • Cleveland-Cliffs Iron Co. — renamed to Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. (2017)
    Reorganized and renamed Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. in 2017 as the parent shifted from iron-ore focus to steelmaking.

Curated by qvyshift.com from publicly-reported M&A activity (SEC filings, press releases, USGS Mineral Yearbooks). Not authoritative — verify against primary sources before relying on it. The MSHA panel above is the current authoritative source for actively-permitted mines.

External references

Maps centered on this site