Exploring the Abandoned 1840s Cliff Mine, Keweenaw Peninsula
In the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P. is the abandoned Cliff Mine. The town was created in 1844, centering itself around the mine. This mine was one of the most productive in the Upper Peninsula, producing over 40 million pounds of copper thanks to its 840 miners.
The mine was operated by the Pittsburgh & Boston Mining Company from 1845-1870, followed by the Cliff Copper Company until-1878.
A post office was established in the early 1870s, and by that time, Cliff had a population of well over 400. Once the productivity – and copper – slowed down, the post office shut down, the mine closed, and the town was abandoned.