The Bat Cave (Seneca #3)
We have been here before, only then we had taken a right instead of a left. This is Gratiot Location, once home to a half dozen homes and a few mine shafts along US41 just north of Mohawk. Now nothing much remains. Driving in to the old town site you cross the old railroad grade that fed these mines. Last year we took a right here, and ended up at the Gratiot Mine. Today we decide to take a left, and see what we can find. What caught our attention first is the rusted cupola seen above - which happens to sit above the Seneca #3 shaft.
A Mine By Any Other Name…
It all started with this - this Bat Cage sitting atop a mine shaft out at the Gratiot Location. When I first noticed this steel contraption along the side of the highway so many years ago I had assumed that this shaft was a Gratiot shaft. That would seem to make sense, since it was located next door to the Gratiot Location. But that is, in fact, not the case. The Bat Cage is clearly marked as Seneca No. 3. This confused me greatly.
Yes Virginia, There Is an Old Seneca…
After our little discussion the other day on the mysteries of the Seneca Mine and its many names and faces I decided to head on out there to try to clear up at least one of those mysteries - specifically dealing with the existence of the Seneca Mine as marked in the old topo map I featured in that post. (For those that missed it, the map in question is posted above) This map shows two mines - the Gratiot (with 2 shafts) and the Seneca (with 1 shaft). The Gratiot mine is easy enough to find today, its still marked with a sign labeling the area as “Gratiot Location”. However, what is commonly known as the Seneca Mine is to the south and west - next to a small collection of houses that is currently marked as Seneca Location. So, where is this other Seneca Mine, the one marked here on this map?