Redridge Steel Dam, Salmon Trout River, Beacon Hill, Houghton County, MI
Summary
Significance: The water supply impounded by the log dam, built by the Atlantic Mining Company across the Salmon Trout River in 1894, proved inadequate when the Baltic Mining Company built a stamp mill on Lake Superior just west of the river. Accordingly, the two mining companies decided to jointly build a new dam and share the larger water supply. Because of the lack of suitable stone in this region, they decided to build a steel gravity dam, making this structure only the second dam of that design in the United States and the first of any significant size. It was preceded by a 46 foot high, 184 foot long dam near Ash Fork, Arizona, constructed by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company in 1897-1898. The Redridge Dam was designed by J.F. Jackson, engineer for the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company, with F. Foster Cromwell, hydraulic engineer from New York, serving as the consulting engineer. The entire project cost $150,000, with the foundations accounting for $90,000 of the total.
Survey number: HAER MI-10
Building/structure dates: 1901 Initial Construction
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