Encyclopedia Of Forlorn Places

9/27/2013

Quincy Stamp Mill

The Quincy Stamp Mill Interior

The Quincy Stamp Mill is directly off of Michigan highway 26 about half way between Dollar Bay and Hubble. It's impossible to miss. You can pull off and park on either side of the larger mill building which is on the North side of the road. These mill buildings are part of the Quincy Mining Company Stamp Mills Historic District. They received ore from the Quincy mine above Hancock. The ore was crushed, refined and concentrated. Large volumes of waste sand were dumped into Torch Lake as a part of this process. Processed ore was then sent to the Quincy Smelter for further refining. Construction began on the stamp mill in 1888. The mill gradually fell out of use and was completely closed after 1967. I visited in 2010. At that point the mill ruins were completely open. While I was there a family was also visiting with children who were running around playing tag. It looked as though the mill was having some structural issues. I would be surprised if it stays standing for much longer.

The Quincy Stamp Mill Interior

There is a small strip of about a dozen wood frame cottages about a half mile Southeast of the mill on highway 26. I believe that these are the remnants of Mason, the town that once housed mill workers. Several of the houses appeared to be abandoned. Directly across highway 26 is the Quincy Dredge number 2. The Quincy Stamp Mill was was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. I'm not aware of any efforts to preserve it though. The hill above and on either side of the mill is overgrown but I saw signs of the former rail line connecting the mill to the mine. Other less easy to identify ruins were scattered in the surrounding brush.

The Copper Country Explorer has detailed information about the mill and an many many photos here.