1921 Duluth & St Louis County MN, Van Brunt.pdf - Garon.us

DULUTH AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY 541
Early Explorers.—Frank Hibbing was on the range from 1888,
but until the end of 1891, or early in 1892, was to the eastward, it is
believed. Captain LeDuc, a mining man, was in the vicinity of Hibbing
in 1887, and found "drift ore and quartz on the surface" in many
places, but he passed on to the westward. Other early explorers were
more or less conversant with conditions and prospects along the
range, and the Merritts who, from the early 'eighties, "hovered over
the Range," and seemed to know "every foot of it," may be presumed
to have stood upon the site of Hibbing long before E. J. Longyear
cut his "tote" road through, to Nashwauk, in 1891. But it seems
that the first to engage in actual explorations, that is, to establish
a mining camp, within close proximity to what now is the Village
of Hibbing, .was Frank Hibbing. He was in township 59-14 in 1891,
but several leases of land in the Hibbing district were granted to
him late in that year, or early in 1892, so that the time of his coming
to Hibbing may, with fair assurance, be recorded as 1891.
The first indication, in lease record, that Frank Hibbing had
been in township 58-20, is lease of December 29, 1891, from Wellington
R. Burt, of Saginaw to Frank Hibbing, giving the latter right to
mine ore deposits found on "parts of sections 13, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28, 31,
32,, and 34 of township 58-20. This lease was transferred on March
17, 1892, to the Lake Superior Iron Company, and called for a 35cent
royalty, and $6,000 advance payment. Another lease bears date
of January 1, 1892, and is from George L. Burrows and Ezra Rust, of
Saginaw, and Gilbert B. Gofif, of Edenville, ^lichigan, to Frank Hibbing,
the leasing being of lands in sections 4 and 5 of 57-21, at 30
cents a ton royalty. Another from Burrows and Rust to Hibbing.
same date, leased seven forties in 58-21 and 57-21. These also were
assigned to the Lake Superior Iron Company, on March 17, 1892.
And at the same time that company received transfer of lease secured
of Alworth and Trimble, from Foster Lumber Company of Milwaukee,
of lands in 58-20, at the same royalty.
Burt-Poole Mine.—These activities of Frank Hibbing had incentive
particularly in his discovery of merchantable ore on what was
known at the outset as the Lake Superior mine, but eventually came
into record as the Burt-Poole mine. "To Frank Hibbing," states
an early record, "belongs the honor of discovering the first merchantable
body of ore in the Hibbing District." The record continues :
"In 1892, Cai)t. T. W. Nelson, working for Mr. Hibbing,- discovered
ore on the property known as the Burt-Poole, and the I-Jurt bears
the reputation of being the first shipping mine" (of the Hibbing District,
presumably, seeing that it was not until 1895 that the first shipment
was made). Winchell confirms the discovery of ore at the
Lake Superior Mine in 1892.
The Lake Superior Iron Comj)anv was organized on March 15,
W. D. Vernam
1892. by A. J. Trimble and Frank Hibbing, of Duluth ;
and William Munro, of Superior, and W. H. BufTum, of New "\'ork.
The capital authorized was $5,000,000. in shares of ^25 denomination.
The Lake Sui)erior Iron Company became the operating company
for many holdings of Hibbing, Trimble and Alworth. many
leases being transferred to it during the next vear or so. Among
them were: Lease October 8, 1892. M. H. Hull to A. J. Trimble
and M. H. Alworth, lands in section 2-57-21. in 12-57-21 and 13-57-21 ;
lease h\-bruary 23, 18