Recreating 70 year old memories. The Impacts of Mining

1. Republic Michigan
A Town That Almost Disappeared.
Republic was founded in 1871. It was formed around the Republic Mine one of the greatest
producers on the Marquette Iron Range. It ceased operation in 1928. it survived on the nearby
mines in Champion, Michigamme, Negaunee, and Ishpeming until the 1950’s.. Logging and
farming helped.
Fred and Elsie LaVeau came to School Street on the south shore of School (Mirror) Lake. It was
at the foot of the smaller west bluff. Bob and Winnie Sauers, their daughter lived upstairs after
WWII, until moving to Champion as Bob was working at that mine.
Fred was the depot agent and could walk to the nearby depot just to the west of their home.
He also owned nearby logging operations.

2. This was our first view of Republic after the long drive(with car sickness) from Stambaugh Mich.
Bill and Gertie LaVeau were half of the brothers who had married sisters. I was their oldest
grandchild and often traveled with them on their sibling visits in the 1940’s and 50’s..

3. An older similar view of the approach to Republic from the south. The view extends into town
past the mine tailings pile. Elsie and Fred had three daughters, Garnet, Winnie and Charlotte.
Winnie’s Bobby and Garnet’s Deanna and Gerri would be there on some visits. Daughter
Charlotte remains in 2020.

4. Another older view approaching republic from the south.

5. Another view from across the Michigammee River. The fire tower is still visible top right, mine
buildings and County shop building left center. Mine shaft No.9 in that area, thus mine tailings
into river.

6. View from the northwest looking into Republic. The Big Bluff (200 feet) is on the far right. The
school and Hospital can be seen just below it. This is 1911 image.

7. Republic looking south across town. Small Bluff at right. Center is School and Hospital. LaVeau
Home is nestled right up next to the small bluff. The main house door was on the west side
porch. You could run out, turn left an go up a path to the top of the small bluff.(huge to us)

8. The house in front of the school is being moved. The Hospital is to the right. The LaVeau home
is on the right. The side porch is visible. That is where Aunt Elsie kept her canary. Fascinating to
little kids. The front porch was seldom used except when the Saurs lived there.

9. Looking north from the Large Bluff. School and Hospital on right. The LaVeau house and bluff
on the left. The burned wood Finnish Lutheran Church may be just behind the large building
across from the school.

10. The M &E and Finnish Lutheran Churches. The larger steeple can be seen in last slide.

11. A winter scene looking north from the Big Bluff. Laveau House just visible under the Small Bluff.

12. Looking a bit northeast from above the school. The school was a large looming structure
particularly in the summer when it was empty. It was just up the street from the house and a
short exploratory journey even if a little scary and mysterious..

13. The newer Gym Community Building on the left. The hospital at right , which was likely a
Doctor’s office when I was there, was almost as mysterious as the big school building.

14. The RR tracks running east and west on the south side of Mirror Lake. Old M-95 would run north
and south at the left.

15. The Depot is circled at the left. The Blue Star on the highway is between the two Railroad
crossing signals. The long yellow line marks the exposed typical granite at the top of the Small
Bluff above the LaVeau House marked by the Blue Arrow.

17. An early image of the depot. The train is headed east over a trestle, over the Highway?
When I was under age 5 an engineer of a train at the Depot waited until I wondered near the
huffing standing engine, and that noise was scary, and then released the steam right around
me. That was terrifying.

18. An Older view with no water in the backround? The train is at the
Depot. But which one? There were Two. Or perhaps three?

19. 1915 Map showing two Depots on the east west Route.
The tracks are marked St. Paul – Railway- Chicago- Milwaukee
-Chicago-
(Chicago Milwaukee and St Paul RR?)

20. 1912 Map showing a third
Depot on the north south Rail
Line. It is marked D.S.S. &
A.R.R. Depot.
There is a Turntable and
There is a Locomotive
R.O.(Round House?) building
to the south of that.
The rail Line is marked D.S.S. &
A.R.R. Branch.( Duluth South
Shore & Atlantic rail Road.)
Republic and Kloman are the
cross streets.

21. Notice the railings and the guy wires.
Mine shaft and RR Water Tower? In back round.
Suspension Bridge . Looking Northeast.

22. Page from “A
Moving
Experience: A
Partial Relocation
of a Community
Republic Michigan”

24. Another view of the Swinging Bridge in its prime. When staying there one summer cousins Dee
and Geri took me there. They were older and much braver than I. They “ran” across the bridge
despite no railings and missing boards. I bravely went out as far as the guy wires extended and
retreated. This is the Doctor’s House on the Peninsula?
Swinging Bridge Looking North.

25. The Daredevils
Deanne

26. An amazing picture of a lady on the Suspension Bridge. Mine tailings/ore at the right rear.
1915 Map marks this “Stocking Ground.” to south. This is the “Mine Captain House?

27. This 1915 Map view shows the Suspension Bridge.

28. This is the contour of the Republic Basin c. 1955
The previous slides provide photographic views.

29. 1915 map(top) showing(and next slide) the mining area south of Old Republic. No 9 shaft is
located. Note the Rock Dump and trestle in Smith’s Bay.

30. 1915 map(bottom) showing(last slide) the mining area south of Old Republic. West Republic
peninsula center left. Open Pit located. There is a West Republic Shaft marked.

31. West Republic from Smith Mountain

32. West Republic from Pictured Rocks

33. West Republic from Fire Tower

34. The West Republic Peninsula before the Pellet Mine. The previous slides indicate there was deep
and open pit mining there prior, so it was not exactly pristine, but to disappear?

35. This is similar to the view as it was from Aunt Elsie’s Bluff prior to 1953. For a boy under 10 from
Stambaugh on the Menomomee Range, this was awe inspiring. And Stambaugh has this in
common with Republic – it has disappeared from the map, though most of its buildings remain.

36. Smith Mountain is no more!

39. 2020 Satellite view(North) Of the Republic Basin.
The flooded Open Pit. The location of the Old Smith’s Bay
and West Republic. The new South Republic.

40. 2020 satellite view looking south east
Notice the steep sides to the pit.

41. Looking S.E. Mirror lake near left
foreground.
Approximate location of La Veau
House.

42. 2020 satellite view looking north into Old Republic across Mirror
lake.
Location of LaVeau Home. Location of Depot other end of arrow.
Foundation of old school Community Building.

43. So where was the Suspension Swinging Bridge located?
Slide 26 puts it directly east of the school.
So the Bridge would be approximately here.
Was it filled in? Is the standing water a remnant?

44. The La Veau’s
Fred and Elsie and
sister Gertrude(Gertie)
My Gram.
The Republic LaVeau
house was always rich
with the sound of the
canary on the side
porch during the
summer.