Features

Sinking ground around mines forces house moves, abandonment

It was in the late 1800s when the shaft to the Negaunee Mine opened, and it was soon discovered that this body of ore was on quicksand.

In 1902, the Negaunee Mine had a cave-in, where 10 men lost their lives. The mine reopened and less than two months later, the Negaunee Iron Herald reported that Henry Wirtanen had died at the mine site as a result of the ground sinking. Thus began the moving and dismantling of some of the homes of prominent people in Negaunee in and around that area.

Among the homes that were dismantled because they were too large to move was the Maas house. Some of the oak woodwork and walls were repurposed in the Johnson home on West Main Street.

John Maas came to Negaunee from Germany. He teamed up with Capt. Mitchell and N. Lonsdorf and leased the Saginaw mine in Ishpeming, and with Edward Breitung, leased the Humboldt Mine.

Maas, Lonsdorf and Mitchell organized the First National Bank. Maas and Angeline Scion had eight sons and a daughter. George Maas, son number six, contributed much to Negaunee's history.

He was born in Marquette and one of the first graduates from Negaunee High School in 1878. He went off to college and returned to Negaunee in 1886 and began to explore the region for iron ore. Shortly before the death of his father, George Maas discovered that the district east and north of the city had a promising ore field. This began what was known as the Maas Mine.

George Maas was married to Rose Suess, a member of the Winter and Suess families. The house was razed in the 1950s. It was said that the dismantling of this huge house was used for garages and other buildings.

Another house that was razed was the Maitland home on the corner of Healy Avenue and Main Street. It had stained glass windows, maid's quarters, libraries and an elevator. It had a wide veranda around the outside of the house.

In 1937, it was used by Oates and Carter and became the Hillcrest Funeral Parlor. The mantle from this home is on display at the Negaunee Historical Society Museum.

A.W. Maitland served as Negaunee's mayor, state senator and lieutenant governor. He was the general manager of the Iron Cliffs Company and then for Republic Steel, also as mine superintendent at Palmer, having the Maitland Mine named after him.

The year was 1926 when Jafet Rytkonen opened the doors of the new Vista Theater. It was well known for its large pipe organ and the grand playing by Paul Bennett. The Vista had vaudeville acts and the best silent movies of the day. It was the center of Negaunee's social life.

Rytkonen also had interests in earlier theaters in the city and in the Ishpeming Theater. Colored glass windows from the Rytkonen home that was dismantled are on display at the Negaunee museum. Rytkonen's home was on the corner of Healy and Main.

The home of Capt. Mitchell, a prominent figure in the development and operation of area mines, was located at 521 E. Main St. and dismantled. Mitchell also became a prominent figure in the organization of the Mitchell United Methodist Church.

Some homes survived the wrecking ball and were moved across town. For example, the home that was built in the 1900's for the superintendent of schools, Orr Shultz, was moved to 916 Baldwin Ave.

The family home of Tom McNabb was on East Case Street and moved to the corner of Pine and Spruce. Tom McNabb lived in it as a child in its original place, and when he was Negaunee city manager in the 1980s, he had a second chance to live in it. The home has had major exterior remodeling.

The Northey Home was also moved from the east end of town to the corner of Pine and Spruce. The Northey family included bankers and teachers. Robert Northey became the first Negaunee graduate to be hired as school superintendent.

The moving of this house had an interesting ending. The moving company knew it was to go on the corner, but they put it on the wrong corner. So the beautiful cupola that should be facing a corner instead faces the next-door neighbor. It has a different look from its original beginnings. Phil Dix has restored this home.

The first block of Baldwin, Pine and Oak streets also have homes that were moved there because of the Negaunee Mine sinking.                                  

Virginia Paulson has been a trustee with the Negaunee Historical Society for more than two decades, previously having been on the Negaunee Public Schools board of education for 23 years and MARESA board for 17 years.