Northern Chief Iron Company was an early and prominent player in the development of the iron
ore mining industry on the Gogebic Range in northeastern Wisconsin. As early as 1872, geological
surveys speculated that rich deposits of iron ore existed in northeastern Wisconsin near the
Michigan border. When iron ore was discovered in 1880, there followed a boom of activity
unprecedented in the region. The founders of Northern Chief Iron Co., Daniel L. Plumer and
Willis C. Silverthorn, businessmen from Wausau, and Gordon Gile, from Oshkosh, and others began
acquiring land in the region as early as 1874. Incorporating the company on April 26, 1884, the
men continued to purchase lands in exchange for shares of stock in the new corporation,
eventually owning much of the land on the Wisconsin side of the Gogebic range. That same year
the Milwaukee, Lake Shore, and Western Railway Co. expanded northward, reaching Hurley and
continuing to Ashland, the Lake Superior port terminus. The Northern Chief Iron Co. was
instrumental in the development of Hurley, which derives its name from Michael A. Hurley, a
Wausau lawyer who recovered land titles for Northern Chief in the 1880s. Hurley also served as
Treasurer of the company in the early 1900s.
Headquartered in Wausau, the company leased their land to mining companies and earned
royalties on the mined iron ore. At the end of each year the net amount of royalties was paid
out as dividends to stockholders. Mines operating on their land included Germania, Minnewawa,
Ottawa, Montreal, Cary, Windsor, Cary-Tilden, Superior, Plumer, and Pence. The Cary mine and the
Montreal mine, which are well-documented in this collection, were the largest mines in
Wisconsin. At one time the Montreal mine was the deepest iron mine in the world, extending to
over 4000 feet.[1] Leaseholders
included Montreal Mining Co., Odanah Iron Co., Republic Iron and Steel Co., Caledonia Iron
Mining Co., and others. Northern Chief also sold parcels of platted lands to qualified buyers
and leased land as residential property. Northern Chief Iron Company is still registered as a
corporation today.
A list of mines, lessees, and lease dates and an incomplete list of officers and directors
taken from company letterhead are available in the appendices to this finding aid.
