According to local legend, when Horace Greeley penned those now famous words, he was encouraging young men to migrate from the eastern cities to the Keweenaw copper mines. It is interesting to note that Greeley was among the eastern investors that financed these mines that provided a much needed resource to arm the Union Army, to fuel the Industrial Revolution, and to wire the nation for telephones and electric lights.Â
 Today we donned hard hats and heavy jackets for a half mile journey underground to Level 7 of the Quincy Mine near Hancock, Michigan to learn about the history and techniques of copper mining on the Keweenaw beginning in the 1840’s with the immigration of Cornish professional hard rock miners.  
Above ground we saw the amazing machines that brought the rock from as deep as 9000 feet below as well as delivering miners to and from their shifts. We also saw a restored company house for a peek into the lifestyle of a miner and his family. And we talked with some incredibly well informed folks. All this after a yummy Whitefish dinner at Peterson’s Fish Market!
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