301 West Lakeshore Drive
The Copper Range Company developed a multipurpose waterfront operation in Houghton. Along this half-mile stretch of the Portage Canal, the company located its large roundhouse and railcar repair facility, full service dock, freight house and railcar yard.
The Copper Range Company was a late starter in the Keweenaw copper district. Organized in January 1899, they operated milling facilities, a large smelting works by Portage Lake, and three mines south of Houghton — the Champion, Baltic, and Trimountain copper mines. The construction of their railway provided a vital link betweeen their dispersed operations. The initial 41-mile run between Mass City and Houghton was eventually extended north to Calumet and included several branch lines. Unlike most mining company railways, they hauled frieght for other companies and operated an active passenger service.
The Houghton passenger depot was built in 1899. It was designed by Copper Range’s chief engineer, Thomas Appleton, and built by Pendergast and Clarkson of Chicago. More elegant than the company's other depots, the two-story brick building featured red Jacobsville sandstone details and cost over $10,000 to construct. The 400-foot long wooden platform, positioned on the north side of the building, was sheltered by an overhanging roof. The ticket office, baggage room, and waiting rooms — separate rooms for men and women — were on the ground floor. Office and storage spaces for the station were on the second floor. Passengers could take special trains for shopping, baseball and football games. The “Freda Park Special” transported riders to the shores of Lake Superior to picnic in a park built by the Copper Range Company.
Perched on a slim half-mile stretch along the southern edge of the Portage Canal, in Houghton, the Copper Range Company's multipurpose waterfront operation included a large roundhouse and railcar repair facility, freight house and railcar yard, and full service dock. With the completion of the facilities, in 1900, the company could offload supplies and ship out copper ingots to ships along the Portage.
Passenger trains ceased to operate at the Copper Range Railroad Depot in the 1920s. However, trains continued to transport copper through the depot until the early 1970s. The last train made its way from McKeever junction in Ontonagon to Houghton on November 3, 1972.
Sources: Historic Houghton Walking Tour 2020; Image: Michigan Tech University Archives and Historical Collections MS044-001-006-030