June 12, 2026

Carpenter Mine – Crystal Falls Michigan – A 1914 Mining Town

Black-And-White View Of An Iron Mine Complex With A Tall Headframe, Industrial Buildings, Rail Tracks, And Piles Of Cut Logs In The Foreground.

This is the Carpenter Mine in Crystal Falls, shown as a busy industrial complex with a tall headframe, ore-handling buildings, rail tracks and stacks of cut timber in the foreground. The photo itself carries a 1914 copyright and a credit to Iron Range Studio of Iron River, placing it right at the start of the mine’s working life.

State and geological records describe the Carpenter Mine as an Iron County iron-ore operation opened in 1913, with ore shipments beginning in 1914 and continuing through 1928.

If you have family ties to Crystal Falls, what do you remember hearing about the mines — or the work that came with them?

#CrystalFalls #UpperPeninsula #MichiganHistory #IronCounty #VintageMichigan

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Michaela Nolte

Michaela is a history buff and loves to export historical markers and old buildings and seeks stories about Michigan and Great Lakes history. When she is not writing, you can find her with a good book sipping wine on the beach.

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