Tours of mine and mill begin for the summer

HUMBOLDT TOWNSHIP — The Eagle Mine in Marquette County kicked off another season of public tours today.

This year’s first tour was at the Humboldt Mill, the facility where ore from the mine gets crushed, ground, and separated into nickel and copper powders to be shipped off for further refinement. Tours of the mine have been going on for the last five years, but mill tours were just added last year.

“It’s just part of our mission to be open and transparent with the community, and what better way to be transparent than to literally open the doors and have people come and walk through the operation, ask any questions, and just see it for themselves,” said Eagle Mine Social Responsibility Advisor Meagen Morrison.

The Humboldt Mill has a long history of local mining. It was originally constructed as an iron mine in the fifties and even processed gold from the Ropes Gold Mine in Ishpeming.

“A lot of people — especially for the mill tours — come here because they used to work here, you know, fifty years ago, and they just want to see how things have changed and what a modern mine and a modern mill look like today,” Morrison added.

Tours will continue every Friday throughout the summer, alternating between the mine’s surface facilities and the mill. To reserve a spot on an upcoming tour, you can call the Eagle Mine Information Center at (906) 273-1550.