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Fort Wilkins, Copper Harbor, Grant Township, Keweenaw County, Michigan, USAi
Regional Level Types
Fort WilkinsArmy Camp (Historical)
Copper HarborUnincorporated Community
Grant TownshipTownship
Keweenaw CountyCounty
MichiganState
USACountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
47° 28' 0'' North , 87° 51' 56'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Army Camp (Historical) - last checked 2019
Nearest Settlements:
PlacePopulationDistance
Copper Harbor108 (2017)1.7km
Mindat Locality ID:
311554
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:311554:4
GUID (UUID V4):
0


Reports of copper from Dr. Douglass Houghton’s 1840 geological survey on the south shore of Lake Superior caused a “rush” of prospectors and miners. The region was a wilderness and in the interest of maintaining law and order, in 1844 William Wilkins, United States Secretary of War, dispatched companies A and B of the 5th regiment to Copper Harbor. They arrived on May 27, 1844 and immediately started to clear land for a fort on the narrow strip of land between Lake Fanny Hooe and Lake Superior.

During the work on the fort several large cobble stones of tenorite were found. This black copper oxide assayed at about 80% copper and eventually led to the establishment of the Hays Mine (Pittsburgh & Boston Company). The diggings can still be seen in Fort Wilkins State Park east of the fort next to the park store.

The Fort is the center piece of the state park. It has been completely restored including the log stockade.

List of minerals for each chemical element

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

North AmericaContinent
North America PlateTectonic Plate
USA

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