Update:
There have been updates to our Mine Fatalities booklet. We are now on our second printing, which includes these updates as well as some added charts to better visualize the data. For those of you who have already purchased a booklet from our first printing, you can download the errata sheets with the added information. Mine Fatalities Errata Sheets.
The goal of PM&S, ever since its creation, is to prepare a plaque/wall that honors residents of Adams Township who died in the copper mines. Compiling the names of those miners has been an ongoing project.
John Blom, Lifetime Member of PM&S, has published a booklet, “Mine Fatalities in Adams and Elm River Townships 1889 – 1967.” The booklet contains 343 names of those who died in the copper mines of Adams and Elm River Townships – Atlantic Mines, Baltic Mines, Trimountain Mines, Champion Mines (Painesdale and Globe), Winona Mines, and Wyandot Mine. He reviewed several thousand death certificates. He obtained the name (first and last), date of death, age, job, country of origin, cause of death (accident) and location of the accident. His information was supplemented using Houghton County Mine Inspector’s Reports, books by Clarence J. Monette, input from relatives, and information provided by visitors to our Captain’s Office. He included a few miners who lived in Adams Township but died in other mines such as the Isle Royale and Tamarack Mines.
A challenging research issue was reading the handwriting of the coroner and resolving discrepancies in the spelling of names in various reports. He used his best judgement to select the spelling that seemed most appropriate. Our members are encouraged to send any additions, corrections or clarifications of information in the booklet to <[email protected]>.
I worked with John Blom by putting the data into a spreadsheet and did a statistical analysis of the data relating to the cause of death, year, age, country of origin and mine/shaft location of death. While doing the statistics, I recognized that these men were not just statistics; each fatality has a story behind it. The story may never be known because the victim died and close relatives have also died. What was he doing the day before the accident? Was he married? Have children? How was his family affected by the accident? If anyone has this type of information, please send it to us and we will put it in a future newsletter.
Painesdale Mine and Shaft has printed the booklet, with John Blom’s permission. Copies are available for a $10 donation plus $2.60 for shipping and handling, or $12.60 per copy. Please send your request and check to PO Box 332, Painesdale, MI 49955. Net proceeds will be used to continue the preservation work on the Champion #4 Shafthouse, which is being dedicated as a memorial to all those who toiled under hazardous conditions and died in our copper mines.
One goal of PM&S, ever since its creation, was to compile a list of miners who died in our copper mines. John Blom helped us to achieve that goal. John is a native of Painesdale, graduate of Jeffers High School, and current resident of Ringwood, OK. PM&S expresses its gratitude to John Blom for all of the work that he put into this project.
-Anton Pintar, Former Treasurer