A panorama of the Alpena Mine in Virginia, Minnesota, shows the open pit mine in September of 1915 as it opened up the underground drifts. Both open pit and underground mining took place in the same time period.
The football, baseball fields and stands are complete, and bocce ball courts lie in the foreground. Rock piles (far right) will soon be used to build the field house.
Members of the U.S. Steel Traffic Committee take a boat ride on the "Erma D" on a calm Lake Vermilion. 18 passengers are visible, most dressed in hats, suits and ties.
The Finnish Sauna Committee constructed the foundation for the Finnish sauna to be built on the grounds of the Minnesota Museum of Mining. From left: Rudy Ratama, Bill Nisula, unidentified, Art Kaatuala, unidentified, unidentified.
Catenaries support the electric cable which powers ore cars (70-78). The cars were moved with a manned electric engine; no diesel or steam engines were used in this process. The Susquehanna was one of the first electrified mines on the Mesabi Iron Range.
A group photo at Wadman's Place on Lake Vermilion shows them eating chicken bouillon for lunch from rimmed metal plates. A large copper boiler sits on the picnic table next to them.
Men return home after a day building the football field and stands in Memorial Park. About $2.5 million in federal funds employed miners through the WPA (Works Progress Administration), CWA (Civil Works Admin.) and NYA (National Youth Admin.) The baseball diamond and stands in the upper right are complete. Some original houses remain inside the sports complex along the road.
The merchant mill building at the Minnesota Steel Co in Duluth is unfinished in this winter photograph, which does not seem to have been taken in August during the U.S. Steel Traffic Committee visit.
A Joseph A. Holmes Safety Award Certificate was presented to Management and Employees of the Sherman Mine, Oliver Mining Division of U.S. Steel in April 1963 for working an open pit iron ore mine 1,245,634 man hours without a disabling injury from February 11, 1961, through December 31, 1962.
A Joseph A. Holmes Safety Award Certificate was presented to the Snyder Mine in April 1940 for accident free operation at the Virginia and Shenango open pit mines and the Webb open pit-underground combination mine for a year or more. In the 12 months ending December 1939, the Virginia mine completed 91,746 man hours without a lost-time accident; the Shenango completed 155,543 man hours; while the Webb went 15 1/3 months through August 1939 with 304,879 man hours without a lost-time accident.
Cable to power an electric shovel is laid by Snyder Mining Company at the Webb Mine near Chisholm. This truck shows signs of wear; its crew of four is visible.