Crossing the Gorge (p1)

For the Copper Range, the final obstacle on its journey through the valley was the impressive depths of the Hungarian Gorge. Here the small Hungarian Creek managed to cut a 200 ft deep gorge straight across the hillside on its way out to Torch Lake. Copper Range wasn’t the first railroad that tackled this gorge however - nor would it be the last. Some 20 years earlier the Mineral Range Railroad (at that time the Hancock & Calumet RR) had found itself in need of crossing the same gorge on its way up to Calumet. It is that first crossing that we take a look at today.

First let’s take a look at the area in question. Here is a map showing the Hungarian Gorge and the 3 railroads that cross her: the Mineral Range, the Copper Range, and the C&H railroads. Each chose to do so using a large steel trestle in lieu of a fill (even though I would of thought the relative steepness and narrowness of this gorge would make a fill more economical….). We take a look at all three in this series, starting today with the Mineral Range’s contribution.

After passing behind the Osceola and Tamarack mills, the Mineral Range line began its long climb up Lake Linden hill towards Calumet. For most of its life it did so unabated by nothing other then the gorge itself. But around 1920 the Copper Range made its push through the area, and in doing so crossed the Mineral Range’s path. The result was what you see in the photo above (the Copper Range is the curved dirt path, the Mineral Range is atop the concrete wall). Like it had done before at the Quincy Mill, Copper Range simply went under the existing Mineral Range line by means of this short cut. As the Copper Range ran down the center, the Mineral Range crossed over top of it via a short bridge. The bridge was removed for scrap since then, but the concrete abutments can still be seen.

After crossing the Copper Range, the Mineral Range then proceeded to the gorge’s rim a short distance away. Here is a view of that old right of way, which as you can see is rather overgrown. For many years this line served the Tamarack and Osceola Mines atop the hill, delivering their copper down to the mills here. Ssoon after the Copper Range came through the area, however, these mines were gobbled up by C&H during consolidation. The C&H Railroad took over operations from there, and this line was no longer needed. So while the Copper Range and C&H lines continued to be used for many decades later - the Mineral Range line was abandoned and allowed to be reclaimed by the hillside.

If you follow that overgrown right-of-way for just a short while, you will find yourself standing atop what appears to be a sheer cliff face. Only instead of a sheer rock face, you find your standing on a large man-made masonry wall. This is the western abutment to the Mineral Range’s trestle that crossed here once upon a time. Built up from row upon row of poor rock, the structure is massive. It stands a good 20 feet hight at its peek and stretches out a good 30 feet from the gorge’s rim. (Take a look at the BIG PICTURE to see just what I mean)

Looking out across the gorge you can clearly make out the eastern abutment, although that one has not survived the test of time as well as its western counterpart. Instead of an imposing masonry monolith, that side seems to be made of two parallel sandstone walls - missing the entire center section.

Here’s a closer (and larger) look. You can make out a great deal of damaged to the walls that remain, each apparently missing a large portion of its forward end. Behind these walls, the old Mineral Range continues on into the woods on its way up to Calumet. After crossing a dirt road just a short distance beyond here the old right-of-way becomes almost indiscernible as it re-enters the woods.

Climbing down into the gorge (which by itself is rather easy - getting out is the tough part) we find a few more remains of this trestle sprinkled along the gorge floor. Here you see a large concrete footing sitting in the middle of the creek, which I think once supported the center of the trestle. There were a few more sitting up along the gorge walls as well.

Also littered along the bottom of the gorge was the rest of the old eastern abutment. The entire middle section and most of the outer walls had sheered off from above and crashed down into a large heap here along the creek. Piles of poor rock, sandstone, and concrete are mixed with more interesting artifacts like this large iron eyebolt used to tie the whole structure together. (you can see these sprinkled along the western abutment if you look closely at the panoramic image) At some point the whole thing must of just given way and dropped down into the gorge. You can see the results in the very first photo in this post.

Next: The Copper Range Trestle

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