Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

Planet1mars said:
I did find a map from 1827. its a miner map of michigan. its hard to make out i dont speak french but it looks pretty interesting on some areas just got to get translated.. when my daughter gets back this week ill ask her to help me she is studying french... ill get back to you all on this
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A map? maybe you could post it on here? ::)
 

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Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

im pretty leary on posting maps on here, i gave a lot of info and maps to a few people here to go on hunting and i never heard from them again
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I am new to the forum but not to the love of finding things not yet found. The wall of silver has peeked my interest again in the U.P.
Ok maybe just a feeling I get every now and then about things but I believe exists. Maybe not to the extent other say it does. Been several years since I’ve been in the U.P. but always had a feeling up around the Cliff mines there was something. Does any one else go on feelings and research? Any information would be helpful.
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I'm glad I finally decided to join this forum since this is one topic I actually seem to have significant information about. I read the book and got real excited about it and made an expedition to find the wall of silver at the end of Oct. in '08 since it was relatively close (from SE MI) and I had just read the book a few months before. I found what I believed to be the location of the/an entrance to the mine described in the book. It is located on a hillside and appears as a section that is kind of "scooped out" of the hillside and appears to be an unnatural feature in the landscape (however, I am not a geologist). It looks like what I would imagine a mine entrance would look like; or possibly someone digging well into the side of a hill. I didn't take a camera with me otherwise I would have taken pictures of "the scoop". I did mark the spot on my GPS if anyone is interested in checking it out (keeping in mind it is on privately owned land). There was kind of a small hole at the base of the "scoop" where ground cover and dirt and debris that fell from the top didn't quite reach the bottom. But this could also have been an animal den. It would probably take several men a day (or one man several days) to excavate the entire "scoop" using hand tools and see what's under it (again, keeping in mind it is on privately owned land).

However, after returning and reviewing the story I question how true it is. This doesn't mean that anyone interested in it shouldn't check it out. I did find a glass bottle from the Calumet Brewing Company (raised letters in the glass). It turned into a really nice trip especially at that time of year.
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

The Wall of Silver sure is intriguing!
Would just love to spend more time up around that part of the UP. Spend quite a bit of time around Blaney Park (US 2 and M 77) South of Seney.

I've met the author of the book a couple of times now. He is getting right up there in years. Happens to live not far from here, about 20 miles, and comes to different events to sell and sign books. I've taken a couple of those opportunities when he didn't have a bunch of people looking at books etc., and talked to him about the mine etc.

He has been a detectorist for much of his life, and loves to talk about it.

He gave me some landmarks to look for, but remember he only went into the mine once. He does swear that it really exists, and seems to be a very sincere old guy.

The way they traveled into the mine was an originally an escape tunnel, since the original entrance caved in and was never re-opened.

Great story. Sure would be fun to go up and look for it!


Good Luck,
Mark
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I love that area and will be headed back there this summer for our annual vacation. Looks like I may have to pick up that book.
Dan
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I have the book about the "wall of silver mine" and I grew up just a few miles down the road from the cliff drive described in the book. Unfortunately, I think the tale is just that, a tall tale. Every square inch of this area was explored by the mining companies, so I think it is doubtful that they would have missed finding this supposed lost mine. Some of the geography the author uses doesn't match up with the actual lay of the land and the so called armed security guards in the tale only existed in his imagination. The Mines abandoned this particular area 80+ years ago and the lumber/paper companies wouldn't have a need for guards here either. What would they be protecting against? Someone stealing a pine tree? That's absurd. My family has lived in this area since the 1920's and no one can recall seeing any armed guards protecting this area and since the mines closed there is nothing valuable on it to protect.
As a kid, I explored this area, hunted and mountain biked this area. You can still find small tunnels in the cliff along cliff drive, but most of them are air vents or exploratory shafts for the mines that used to operate here. Most have been filled in but you can still find ways in. I don't recommend going into any of them, they have been abandoned for 80+ years and are dangerous. I explored some of the tunnels and there really isn't much to see. There are foundations, smoke stacks, and cemeteries that can be explored, but no buildings are left standing. If you really want to search for the "wall of silver" go for it, but I think you will find that the real treasure here is the rugged Lake Superior shore line, the forests, ghost towns, mountains(OK really big hills, but they are the closet thing you will find to mountains in the American Midwest.) and the colorful people that live here. You might not want to leave.
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

Seven years ago, I was caught hook, line and sinker for this story! I lived across town from him, when he lived here in Traverse City, MI. I first Met him at a Borders book signing, even had him sign my copy.
So, Two business friends and I spent three years, thousands of our own monies, and many, many hours, (over 300), looking for the "mine". We met with the authors' money man, (a good man also taken), who had a photographer shoot video interviews on the cliff, of us for a documentary. We shot hours of video for ourselves, hundreds of still shots (both digital and film). We met with author, Dick, a dozen times, for hours of questions and answers. Dick even let me take a photo of a picture that he told me was the entrance to the mine and reassured me that, " this isn't B.S....", ( which turned out to be a plagiarized photo from, " Gold mines in Michigan").
We proved for the most part that it is a fabricated story, which has an author who has an ego to keep it alive, no matter what the cost is for those looking for it. If you've been in the area looking, you know what I mean when I say, "it is Dangerous when wet!"
On a side note, My friends and I are closer than we ever have been, and the land is owned by Lake Superior land co. and is free to access, as it has a C.F.A. land use status for public tresspass!
Have fun, look out for poison ivy, and enjoy the sights!
Mustache Man :headbang:
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

Anyone seriously interested in "The Wall of Silver" tale should take the time to read the debunking discussion written by a professional geologist from Wisconsin that was sent to the publisher of the book, Avery Color Studios. See: http://www.michrocks.org/other/articles/silver.html

I have watched, with interest, the stories and the posts develop regarding this tale since the book was published . I have generally stayed away from any detailed personal comments regarding the story and the claims since I didn't want to ruin the fun of anyone who took up the search. The quest is the "journey".

The above mentioned dissection of the claims in the book is relatively well done and raises too many questions and identifies too many conflicting claims made by the author, Kellogg. It should not be ignored.

I note that others are starting to address the "problems" associated with the details of the tale.

Additional to the information and assessment presented in the "debunking" letter to the publisher I have personal observations that add to the veracity of the debunking.

Let me first address the background that allows me to add to this discussion with some authority. I am a retired geologist who started my career working in the mines and on exploration projects in the Keweenaw for Calumet and Hecla for a number of years prior to their closure. I also worked for other mining and exploration companies in the Copper Country and western Upper Peninsula. In the latter part of this career I again did consulting work on mining and exploration projects throughout the Copper Country. I have nearly 50 years of experience with Michigan copper and silver deposits.

From a mining standpoint, there are no workings that I have ever seen, underground, that would even tangentially approach some of the descriptions offered in the book. Too many things conflict with reality.

More importantly, as directly relates to the "Wall of Silver" story, I actually saw the silver specimens offered for sale in the Sportsman's Bar. This bar was one of our watering holes after a day in the mines or the field. Kellogg did have silver specimens for sale, along with some rather nice copper-in-calcite crystals. These specimens originally resided in a case on the west wall of the bar room, which would have been to the right of anyone entering through the front door. They were not cheap, even at the value of the dollar back then.

I know for a fact that many of the excellent collections of Copper Country mineral specimens were originally assembled when the miners would trade their "lunch-box" specimens for various items from the local business men. One of the better old collections in Calumet was put together by a butcher who traded meat and groceries for specimens.

There are a few people who have been associated with the mineral specimens of the Copper Country for so long that they can recognize the subtle crystal habits and associated accessory minerals of specimens so that they can identify, with a high degree of accuracy, whether specimens were from fissure zones or lodes, and also can be fairly accurate in identifying from which lode the specimens originated.

The silver specimens that Kellogg had for sale in the Sportsman's Bar were very likely from the Kearsarge Lode, not from a fissure deposit. The most likely sources within that lode were from the workings of the Centennial No.2 and the Centennial No. 3 & 4 shafts. Some of the silver specimens had a little matrix on them that contained the epidote and quartz association typical of the Kearsarge Lode. The Sportsman's Bar happened to be rather close to those operations.

My belief is that Kellogg was accepting silver specimens in payment of bar tabs. A secret source up along the cliffs to the northeast, delivered by an elusive person, was a good cover story for both himself and the miners.
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I bought the book off of Amazon and loved it. It is a good read. My 65 year old dad, who does not read books at all, read it in one sitting.
Dan
 

Re: Tale of the "wall of silver mine"up in the Keweenaw.....

I know that this is an old topic but I also read the book and and enjoyed it. I will say this PLEASE BE CAREFULL while wondering around the woods up here in the U.P. there are still alot of open mine and vent shafts along with open wells that have been long forgotten and not filled in you hit one of these by your self the'll never find ya. I have been told this by my dad ever since I was little some couldn't be filled so they placed railroad ties across and called it good some where tied and cemented others lost completely. So keep your eyes open and TREAD CAREFULLY !!!.
 

I live in calumet and would love to see that map i have some questions about where certain mines were located. i have been looking for the silver mine for a few years now. this spring i plan to search for the river that was mentioned in the book.
 

iam a willing person to aid in any endeavors in the search, -i have little want for profit, only adventure- pmme
 

Hi My name is Ken I've been up to the Cliff for many years since early 70's I found samples of silver on that site ,I had a silver crystal in my pocket at that time I stopped in the tavern/rock shop to my suprise the place was fairly empty except two burly men and a display case and a set of shelves 7 feet tale , the case had a few rock samples in it and as I talked to the men about my metal detecting day I asked about finding any silver in the area on the cliff they looked at each other as I pulled out my silver out of my pocket they kind of chocked and asked were did you find that and said on the cliff then the big guy pointed to the top shelf , and I couldn't believe my eye's it was a football shape and size grayesh crystal I said what is that ,that was the first time I met Jake or William he was at least 6'3" or 6'5" he say's a silver crystal I thank them and left dumbfounded . That was way before the book came out .
 

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I know exactly were it all is , if I can get back up their , I'm 63 and have problems getting around
 

I know exactly were it all is , if I can get back up their , I'm 63 and have problems getting around
 

My felling about that spot is it is there ,it is so rugged that you could be right on top of it and you would not know it .all I know is I have found silver their .
 

The man never saw a wall of pure silver. I'm looking at silver and ore specimens that I've collected, and they are tarnished black. Nice story but just that. A story.
 

seger98 said:
Interesting story, my only question would be, why would a paper company have armed security gaurds out? I know of alot of paper company land, and I've never seen any armed gaurds out anywhere!
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stealing timber is a biggie Gypsy cutters move in, log the area of prime cuts and disappears, they are in and out in a day....
 

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