NEGAUNEE — Since 1865, the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company has owned a fine grained hematitic Iron ore deposit known as the Tilden Reserve.

This deposit lies three miles south of Ishpeming, within a beltapproximately two miles long and ½ mile wide. It is composed oflow grade ore containing 36% iron. Cliffs mined this ore by open pit methods on a relatively small scale from 1927 through 1971.

Howeverafter 25 years of research, Cleveland Cliffs developed a successful means of concentrating the low grade Tilden ore. The new process upgrades Tilden ore to a pellet product containing 65% iron with 5% silica. In 1972, following years of planning and pre-engineering, construction began onthe present facilities, and pellet production commenced in December, 1974.

The first trainload of pellets left the mine on Dec. 17, 1974, bound for the L.S. and I. Railroad ore dock in Marquette and ultimately to the Algoma Steel Company. The Tilden Mine is a $200 million project that is producing an annual rate of 4,000,000 gross tons of high grade pellets. Tilden’s 900 million ton ore body, which will produce about 300 milion tons of pellets, is expected to operate through the year 2050, providing continuous employment for hundreds of central Upper Peninsula residents.

The Tilden Mine and Tilden Township derive their name from Samuel J. Tilden, a remarkable attorney,businessman and pollical leader. Born in New Lebanon, New York in 1814, he became the governor of New York in 1875. The following year the Democratsnominated him as their party’s presidential candidate to run against Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican candidate. Although Tilden received more popular votes than Hayes, 20 electoral votes were in dispute.

An electoral commission, composed of eight Republicans and seven Democrats awarded all 20 disputed votes and the election to Hayes. Samuel Tilden’s association with the Upper Peninsula stemmed from his railroad interests. Samuel Tilden and other associates formed the Iron Cliffs Company in 1864, the major mining competitor of the Cleveland Iron Mining Company.

In 1891, five years after Samuel Tilden’s death, these two companies merged to form the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company.