Last Sunday, here on the Years of Yore page, was a photo from 1904 showing the primitive road first cut through the virgin forest leading from Hibbingâs original town site to the Stevenson Mine. This mine was located several miles west of Hibbing and north of Keewatin, very close to the St. Louis County and Itasca County line. It was among the first mines in that area and by 1906 it was shipping ore.
Because of the high quality ore found in the early Itasca County mines, the Great Northern Railroad built a nine-mile rail line spur to connect with the main line in Hibbingâs mining district. This rail spur also helped the Stevenson mine to become a major player in supplying ore on the Mesabi Iron Range.