Study of Alternatives: Proposed Keweenaw Historical Park, Michigan

132 Pages·1991·6.1 MB·English

by  National Park Service

I 29.2:K 51 study of alternatives
Study ofAlternatives, Prop.
PU3: 'NTS
MTEM
3 1604 019 581 281
DF-.
APR C 8 1991
CLEMSON
LIBRARY
PROPOSED
KEWEENAW
NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK MICHIGAN
•

study of alternatives
february 1991
PROPOSED
KEWEENAW NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK MICHIGAN
•
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE
/

SUMMARY
This Study ofAlternatives provides infor- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
mation to Congress about the suitability is engaged in a multiyear project to
and feasibility of establishing a national identify hazardous waste sites on the
historical park on the Keweenaw Penin- Keweenaw Peninsula. Until this project
sula on Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The has been finished, no action should be
national park would commemorate the taken with respect to the alternatives that
development of the U.S. copper mining include potential waste sites. Ifthese sites
industry from the mid 1800s through the were declared to be hazardous, they could
early 1900s. The study focuses on two sites not be considered for federal acquisition
on the peninsula - the Quincy Mining and public use until they were cleaned up.
Company Historic District and the Calu-
met Historic District, which have been Because the copper mining story extends
designated as national historic landmarks. beyond the mining areas of Quincy and
Calumet, this study recommends that if a
The Quincy Mining Company Historic new national park unit is established, it
District is situated along the brow of should be named Keweenaw National
Quincy Hill above the city ofHancock and Historical Park, which would more accu-
Portage Lake in Houghton County. The rately represent the scope of the park.
mine shafts andsurface works, administra-
tive and service buildings, and company
ALTERNATIVES
housing areas are on the top of the hill,
and the Quincy smelting works are along
the shoreline ofPortage Lake. Five park development alternatives are
presented. Each alternative describes how
The Calumet Historic District lies within resources would be preserved and inter-
the village of Calumet in Houghton preted for visitors, what development
County, 12 miles north of Quincy on US would be undertaken, and a range of esti-
Highway 41. It contains mine buildings mated costs. The alternatives differ in the
and administrative structures associated level of interpretation, the location of the
with the Calumet and Hecla Mining facilities and activities, the type of
Company, plus commercial and residential development, and the relationship to Isle
areas within the village. Royale National Park.
As requested by Congress, this Study of Alternative 1 - Minimal Preserva-
Alternativesidentifiesareas andproperties tion and On-site Interpretation -
that should be included in a national his- Visitors would be introduced to the
torical park; the cost to the federal govern- copper mining story at park visitor
ment for establishing a park, including centers (one at Calumet and one at
potential acquisition and preservation Houghton). On-site interpretation
costs; management options; historical, would be limited to the Quincy
cultural, scenic, scientific, natural, and shaft/hoist house complex (which
recreational values associated with the would be preserved) and the smelting
proposed park; and hazardous waste sites works (which would be stabilized);
within and around the park area. walking tours would be provided at
the Calumet and Hecla Mine and
through the village to interpret com-
m
Summary
munity life and the relationship ofthe operatingcondition, and the possibility
community to the mining company. ofofferingundergroundtours wouldbe
studied. Recent mining technology
Alternative 2 - Increased Preser- would be interpreted at the Home-
vation and On-siteInterpretation- stake Mine, where structures wouldbe
Additional opportunities would be preserved. At Calumet selected struc-
provided for visitors to see resources tures in the commercial and residen-
firsthand and to learn about the tial areas would be restored as
copper mining process, particularly at museums to more fully depict com-
Quincy. Visitor centers would be munity life.
developed at Calumet and the Quincy
smelting works (which would be reha- Alternative 5 - Limited Preserva-
bilitated for adaptive use). Interpre- tion and Moderate On-site
tation at Calumet would still focus on Interpretation Focusing on
communitylife. The Quincyshaft/hoist Calumet - Preservation and
house complex would be preserved. interpretive activities wouldbe focused
at Calumet. A single visitor center
Alternative 3 -Moderate Preserva- would be developed, and in-depth
tion and On-site Interpretation - interpretation would treat the whole
Additional areas at Quincy and Calu- Keweenaw Peninsula copper-mining
met would be opened for on-site inter- story, from the 1840s through the
pretation to give visitors a broader 1960s. Like alternative 4, selected
understandingofcopper miningonthe structures in the commercial and resi-
Keweenaw Peninsula, impacts on the dential areas would be restored as
environment, andminers'lives. Visitor museums, and the Osceola Mine and
centers wouldbe developedat Calumet machinery would be preserved to
and the Quincy machine/blacksmith interpret more recent mining tech-
shop (which would be rehabilitated; nology. Preservation and interpre-
buildings at the shaft/hoist house tation at the Quincy site would be
complex andthe smeltingworks would limited to the shaft/hoist house
be either stabilized or preserved). At complex.
Quincy one of the mine's housing
areas would be opened to walking Developmentcosts would range from $22.9
tours. In Calumetselectedbuildingsin million to $55.3 million; annual staffing
the commercial and residential areas and operating costs would range from
would be rehabilitated and adaptively $564,600 to $801,200.
used.
The general impacts ofimplementing each
Alternative 4 -Large-Scale Preser- alternative were evaluated in terms of
vation and Intensive On-site Inter- increased traffic on local roads, the
pretation - The emphasis would be removal of properties from local tax rolls,
on the development of mining tech- demands for additional utilities and public
nology from the 1840s through the services, and benefits to the local economy.
1960s. Visitor centers would be
developed at Calumet and the Quincy
machine/blacksmith shop complex. If
feasible, buildings and machinery at
the Quincy smelting works and the
shaft/hoist house would be restored to
IV
Summary
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS sources. One option would be to establish
a national heritage area that would be
Several approaches have been considered administered by a federal commission.
for managing a park on the Keweenaw Additional options wouldbe to establish an
Peninsula. Support has been shown at the affiliated area ofthe national park system
local, state, and national levels for (with on-site management by a local
designating portions ofthe Quincy Mining entity) or a national historical reserve
Company and Calumethistoric districts as (with management by a special partner-
a unit of the national park system. The ship of federal, state, and local govern-
creation ofanational historical parkwould ments). Other options wouldinclude either
require legislation by Congress. a state or local park area, with preser-
vation andtechnical assistance providedby
Tb be eligible for inclusion in the national the National Park Service.
park system, an area must (1) possess
nationally significant natural, cultural, or Under all alternatives an optional revolv-
recreational resources, (2) be a suitable ing fund for preservation assistance could
and feasible addition to the system, and (3) be established as an incentive for local
require directNPS managementinstead of preservation efforts; a ceiling of $15
alternative protection by other agencies or million could be set for the fund. Also,
the private sector. These criteria are preservation efforts by local groups would
designed to ensure that the national park be encouraged, with technical assistance
system includes only outstandingexamples from the National Park Service.
of the nation's heritage. They also recog-
nize that inclusion in the national park The general public will be involved in the
system is notthe onlyoption forpreserving study process through a series ofmeetings
the nation's outstanding resources. where draft alternatives and potential
impacts will be discussed. The final
Congress could also decide to pursue other alternatives will be revised to incorporate
options to ensure the preservation of the public comments where appropriate.
Keweenaw Peninsula copper mining re-

CONTENTS
Introduction 1
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
3
CRITERIA FOR PARKLANDS 4
NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE 4
SUITABILITY 4
FEASIBILITY 10
SCOPE OF THE STUDY 11
IDENTIFICATION OF HAZARDOUS WASTES 11
PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT 11
A Description of Resources and the Envrionment 13
SIGNIFICANCE OF RESOURCES 15
MICHIGAN'S COPPER COUNTRY 15
The First U.S. Mining Boom 15
Technological Innovations 15
Competition with Western Mines 16
Significance 16
QUINCY MINING COMPANY HISTORIC DISTRICT 16
CALUMET HISTORIC DISTRICT 20
SOCIAL HISTORY 21
NATURAL RESOURCES 22
TOPOGRAPHY
22
GEOLOGY AND SOILS 22
FLOODPLAINS, WETLANDS, AND SAND DUNE AREAS 22
CLIMATE 23
VEGETATION 23
WILDLIFE 23
THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES 23
AIR QUALITY 23
WATER RESOURCES AND QUALITY 23
HAZARDOUS WASTE 24
Federal Hazardous Waste Sites 24
State Hazardous Waste Sites 25
REGIONAL ECONOMIC AND DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE 26
ACCESS AND CIRCULATION 27
REGIONAL TRAVEL AND VISITOR USE 27
State Parks 28
Isle Royale National Park 28
Historic Mines 28
vn
Contents
Analysis of Resources 31
INTRODUCTION 33
QUINCY MINING COMPANY HISTORIC DISTRICT 34
OVERVIEW
34
SITE ANALYSIS 34
Quincy Shaft/Hoist House Complex (Area A) 34
Machine/Blacksmith Shop Complex (Area B) 41
South Mine Ruins (Area C) 41
Smelting Works (Area D) 41
Lower Pewabic Housing Area (Area E) 42
Housing (Areas F, G, H) 42
Commercial District and South Housing Area (Area I) 42
Quincy Hill (Area J) 42
North Mining Property (Area K) 42
Homestake Mine (Area L) 42
HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES 42
CALUMET HISTORIC DISTRICT 43
OVERVIEW 43
SITE ANALYSIS 43
Calumet Mine Buildings (Area A) 43
Hecla Mine Buildings (Area B) 43
South Mine Area (Area C) 44
Osceola Mine (Area D) 44
Churches/Union Building (Areas E and F) 44
Agassiz Park (Area G) 44
Commercial District (Area H) 47
Housing (Areas I, J, K, and L) 47
Miscellaneous Buildings (Area M) 47
Calumet Lake (Area N) 47
Park Development Alternatives and Management Options 53
ELEMENTS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVES 55
INTERPRETIVE THEMES 55
FACILITIES AND INTERPRETIVE MEDIA IN HISTORICAL PARKS 56
NPS CULTURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICIES 57
ONGOING AND PROPOSED PROGRAMS 57
REGIONAL RESOURCE PROTECTION 58
FUTURE PLANNING REQUIREMENTS FOR A NATIONAL HISTORICAL
PARK
58
PARK DEVELOPMENT ALTERNATIVES 60
RESOURCE PROTECTION AREAS 60
PARK BOUNDARIES
61
ADDITIONAL STUDIES 61
vm