93 RURAL MICHIGAN 



ent sites of Ishpemiiiff and isTegaunee, about twelve 

 miles inland from Lake Superior. The next year a 

 small amount of ore was taken out and smelted at 

 Jackson. Bog iron ofe was distributed at various 

 points in the southern counties of the State, and 

 for its utilization a number of forges, or furnaces, 

 had been erected. Such a forge appears to have 

 been first employed for smelting this Lake Superior 

 ore. In 1847, a forge was established on the Carp 

 Eiver close to the present site of Negaunee, for 

 the purpose of converting the iron ore, which was 

 found in a loose formation on the surface of the 

 land, to a form that could be transported out of the 

 country. This and other forges erected in this vicinity 

 prepared the iron ore in the form of "blooms," in 

 which condition it was shipped out of the district 

 to eastern markets. After some years, blast furnaces 

 were erected and the process of smelting the ore 

 was begun. The iron was shipped from the mines 

 to the forges or furnaces, most of which were con- 

 structed close to the lake shore, and thence went 

 forward by water. At first conveyance was by 

 wagons, later by railroad. Ore docks were built in 

 the harbor of Marquette, first of simple construction 

 involving much labor in transferring the mineral 

 from train to dock and from dock to ship. Then a 

 type of dock was designed whereby the railroad ore 

 cars deposited their load directly into pockets, 

 whence in turn the ore was sent through shoots into 

 the hold of the vessel along side. The marvelous 

 perfection of present equipment of such docks per- 



