Another week has passed and the Copper Country’s history is infused with the present as readers field their guesses and share memories of notable sites.

Calumet resident Ken Bracco correctly identified the location and shared some of his personal connections. The historical photograph depicts the dam at the top of the falls of the Eagle River.

The dam was constructed by the owners of the Eagle River Fuse Company, founded by three partners, Richard Uren, Thomas Dunstone and Joseph Blight, on Dec. 2, 1862.

In 1874, Dunstone sold his interest to the other partners, who continued the business and increased the capacity of the works to 50,000 feet a day. The works were operated by hydropower taken from the Eagle River at the falls, and ran year-round. The factory’s two biggest clients were the Calumet and Hecla and the Quincy mining companies.

When the image was captured in 1938, the fuse factory was still in operation. Bracco said at that time it was managed and operated by Roscoe Blight.

Bracco was very familiar with the Blight family and had visited the facility when it was operating.

“One of Roscoe Blight’s daughters, Barbara, married a cousin of mine, from Bete Gris, “ said Bracco, referring to his cousin as Skeesix Edwards.

Bracco said Blight produced explosives and blasting equipment for local mining companies.

“They made many different sizes of blasting equipment,” he said, “fusing, caps, and all kinds of equipment they supplied the mines with.”

They also were a supplier of some components, in some way, fashion or size, of the Atlas Powder factory, located at Senter, outside of Dollar Bay.

The fuse factory was destroyed in April 1957, by a fire of unknown origin.

Today, all that remains of the factory is a stone warehouse and the hewn logs that composed the foundation of the dam.

Reader responses:

Eagle River falls and the fuse factory

–Paul Siira

Eagle River dam and the water sluice for the fuse factory

–Gordy Schmitt

Eagle River

–Tammy Seymour

Eagle River Falls and Dam with Lake Superior Fuse Company water power tower in foreground. A favorite lifetime fishing place when the water is a little lower. I have a video clip that may be of the same event from movies Alden Steck took in 1941 or ’42.

–Daniel Steck