When we had first stumbled across the vast complex of ruins we weren’t sure what we had discovered - but had assumed it was connected with the Baltic Mine in some manner due to its location. (check out our first exploration of the ruins HERE) It sure appeared to come from the mine - faced with a patchwork of sandstone and topped by a steel smokestack. But its layout and sheer size was something entirely different. This wasn’t a mere hoist building or dry house that we had discovered - it seemed more like a factory. It turns out it was.

The ruins were in fact part of the Stella Cheese Factory, used to manufacture several types of cheese for distribution throughout the Copper Country. The Stella Cheese Company began its life from a small farm factory in Lake Nebagamon Wisconsin in 1917. The company soon expanded, setting up plants throughout northern Wisconsin. Around 1933 the company began to open plants in the Upper Peninsula, one in Mass City and another in a series of abandoned mine buildings at the old Baltic Mine location. The factory at Baltic operated for another 30 years, serving as a vital employer for over a hundred local residents while the mines surrounding it systematically closed down. Unfortunately, dwindling milk supplies in Michigan in the 60’s forced the plant to close as well and the company to contract its operations back to Wisconsin. For the next 30 years the plant lay derelict and abandoned, and has been all but forgotten by local historians. This lack of attention explained our initial confusion when encountering these ruins last winter, but now armed with our new knowledge we approached the ruins with renewed purpose.

Approaching the building from the south east we were once again greeted by its impressive sandstone facade which rose nearly two stories above us. Its south wall featured a series of tall windows that looked similar to those we found along the Quincy Mill’s Turbine building. There were four in total on this side, set apart in the middle by a large opening which was partially filled with concrete blocks. Sprawled out along the base of the wall was a large pile of debris which looked to be the remains of a small addition.

We gingerly stepped over a small wall of concrete blocks to enter the debris field at the base of the building. Due to the amount and type of debris we were encountering we were confident that there was once another room here at one time. Unlike the sandstone behemoth just behind it, this part of the building was built from concrete block and had not survived the ensuing years as well. Besides the pile of debris, about the only remains of the room was a half-destroyed concrete wall and a good deal of cream colored tiles along the sandstone building’s base (which you can see in the photo above).

As we approached the large sandstone building we saw that it looked to actually be two separate buildings set apart by a small gap. The building on the right was flat roofed, while the building to the left had a gabled roof. Sitting between the two was the thick concrete base for the building’s smokestack. This separation seemed to add credence to the claim that Stella re-used several Baltic Mine Buildings for its factory.

Speaking of the smokestack, we craned our head upward to follow its rise up into the sky. This was a steel stack which was bolted down to the brick foundation. Running up its length was an attached ladder, most likely for maintenance purposes. Moving our eyes back earthward we noticed two small openings along the stacks based. One went into the gabled roof building, but it was block by debris. The second entered the flat-roofed structure and was open - so we entered.

Moving through the door was found ourselves dropping down into a large cavernous room. Light filtered into the room from an abundance of windows along the outer walls, bathing the interior in enough light to allow for a good deal of plants to take root the cracks in the concrete floor. Besides the two steel columns supporting the roof, the room was strikingly bare. The only clue to the building’s purpose was a shallow concrete tub set into the floor. (Click on the image above to get a larger view)

At the far end of the room was a small doorway leading to the outside. Just to its left was a collection of bashed and battered electrical boxes. Unfortunately it appeared as if the copper thieves had visited this building as well since all the wiring had been torn out (along with a box or two it would seem). The presence of these boxes could suggest that this room had some mechanical purpose originally, but I can’t be sure.

The room’s north wall was also built of sandstone - which is odd considering its interior nature. Most buildings would of covered this wall with a white plaster like substance for ease of cleaning and maintenance. The naked sandstone here is puzzling.

Also interesting is what appears to be a seam running down the wall about three-quarters along its length. This would seem to suggest the wall was increased in length or a new building was attached at some later date.

While the rooms north interior wall kept its sandstone face, the other three walls surrounding the room were instead faced with bricks. Besides the doors on the east and west walls, there was also a large opening on the south wall which had been partially filled in with concrete block. This looked to have been originally a loading door of some type, but was covered when the southern room outside was added.

We finish our walk around the room’s perimeter by finding ourselves back at the small doorway in which we entered. Near the door was a small section of sandstone again - this time covering the smokestack’s base. Its all very confusing and there doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it all. But thats for another post.

While interesting, we have seen this room before and had documented it then. It was now time to explore deeper into the ruins. So we turned back to the doorway along the north wall and headed into the darkness….

NOTICE: The Stella Cheese Factory ruins are on private property and are NOT open to the public. Please do not trespass and keep out!