Towns and Nature: Rogers City, MI: Carmeuse/US Steel Port Calcite Limestone Quarry

Quarry: (Satellite, some of the photos are interesting)

Rogers City Remembered posted
The, at the time, new electric shovel in use in the quarry - 1930
George Weller: I guess the towers in the background were the antenna farm for the radio station WLC.
James Torgeson shared
Quarrying limestone for US Steel at Calcite.

Rogers City Remembered posted
One of the new 25 cu. yd. dump cars on arrival at Calcite - 1922
For much of Calcite's history trains were the primary method used to take the stone from the quarry and deliver it to the crusher in the plant. The first decade of operation saw small, 10 cubic yard, dump cars pulled by small steam engines. By the early 1920s the company began to purchase new, larger, steam engines and dump cars, mainly these 25 cubic yard dump cars, which greatly increased the amount of stone collected and shipped per year. These cars would eventually be phased out by even larger cars and diesel engines, which would continue to be used until the 1970s and early 1980s.
James Torgeson shared
US Steel operated quarry trains at its Michigan Limestone Division much later than many similar operations. The Calcite Quarry is now operated by Carmeuse with only haul trucks. The facility also no longer has an outside rail connection, with most of its output handled by lake freighter. It remains the World's largest limestone quarry,

This quarry produces 7-10.5 million net tones of high calcium carbonate limestone per year. [msu]

James Torgeson commented on his post
A no trespassing sign at the world's largest limestone quarry, which is now owned by Carmeuse. It is served by lake freighter and truck, but was once also served by the Detroit & Mackinac Railway. Under most of the years of USS operation, trains did the pit hauling, but that is now done by truck. Carmeuse maintains two public observation areas. One overlooks part of the quarry and the other is at Port Calcite, where lake freighters can be observed loading stone.
He also posted a sign that says "NO TRESPASSING QUARRY OPERATIONS UNITED STATES STEEL CORP. MICHIGAN LIMESTONE OPERATIONS."
Jake Greener: Thought largest limestone quarry in the world was Martin Marietta in woodville, ohio? Woodville is the limestone capital of the world.
Darren Miller: Uh, no.....Bedford, Indiana is the limestone capital of the world. I spent a week there one day.
[I added the "metalIron" label since this used to be owned by US Steel. Limestone, along with iron ore and coke(coal) are the three raw ingredients for making iron. And since the newer steel plants are designed to receive iron ore from Lakers, it makes sense that they would want a limestone supply that can use Lakers.]

Kristi Mrozek Goodell posted
The John G Munson and the Lee A Tregurtha loading dolomite in Port Calcite.

Richard Gray posted
Pulling in to Calcite. That new rig looks pretty slick.
Bart Nielsen The new rig looks like a challenge when you swing the boom out loading at the south dock.Richard Gray Is that why the Munson got out five hours later than originally estimated?
Bart Nielsen Oh probably!
But with the older, lower freeboard boats, the boom clearance on that new rig is so tight that heavy wave action or falling behind on pumping ballast could set you right down on that tower.J
ohn Woodward Such a wonderful dock. Been there many times during my days with US Steel in the 70's.

Jason Pechette posted
Loading Calcite Lee a Tregurtha and American Mariner

Terry Doyon posted
ALGOSTEEL (2) at Calcite, MI in 1996. Al Sykes photo ... Terry Doyon Collection.

Dennis Adrian posted four photos with the comment:

Work continues on the Port Calcite upgrades, with two Grove RT's doing most of the construction work and the port's Manitowoc 16000 being used to put the machinery in place.

Ryan Mihalak posted

The Bradley fleet layed-up (sic) in the “frog pond” at Calcite in 1949. From left to right are the W. F. White, B. H. Taylor, John G. Munson, Carl D. Bradley, T. W. Robinson, and Calcite.

Image courtesy:  https://www.flickr.com/.../bradleymuseum/4776398171/sizes/l

Rogers City Remembered posted
From a viewer - Bradley Fleet in winter layup, Calcite - 1950s
George Weller: Haven't seen this before. Looks like they're dredging the slip.
Bob McLean: Left to right (my guess) Irvin L. Clymer, John G. Munson, Rogers City, Calcite (1), Myron C. Taylor and the Cederville.
Ryan Mihalak shared
Tis the season!
James Torgeson shared
The self-unloaders of US Steel’s Michigan Limestone Division Bradley Fleet winter at Port Calcite, home of the world’s largest limestone quarry. The quarry is still there, but is now operated by Carmeuse.
[Limestone is the third ingredient needed to feed a blast furnace. (Iron ore and coke (cooked coal) are the other two.)]

Rogers City remembered posted
Str. Calcite leaving harbor towards the end of her life - undated but probably around 1960.
Connie Hubbard: Really sad when the fleet was no longer based in Rogers City!
Jam Mclean: There is a boat in the frog pond without a stack??? Is it getting new boilers??

James Torgeson shared
US Steel's 436' Str. Calcite (1912) literally pours on the coal as she departs her namesake homeport with a cargo of limestone. She was scrapped in 1961 but her pilothouse is on display on the grounds of the 40 Mile Point Lighthouse northwest of Rogers City.
John Groves: 1912 to 1961 seems a very long life for a bulk carrier.
What is a typical lifespan for most lake iron ore ships?
Dennis DeBruler

John Groves Because the Great Lakes is freshwater and because of rebuilding, the hulls can last over 100 years. In 2014, the 1906 St. Marys Challenger had its pilothouse and steam engines removed, and it is now still being used as a barge.

https://www.professionalmariner.com/after-107-years-on.../

This freighter was built as the Medusa Challenger.

https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../wolf-point-and...

Rogers City Remembered commented on Jam's comment
correct! This from the 1960 Calcite Screenings: Capitalizing on favorable fall weather, Calcite Port ship repairmen have undertaken a mammoth operation below decks of the Steamer CedarviIIe.
The crew is replacing three Scotch fire tube boilers with two new water tube Marine boilers. And taking out the old boilers with their six separate fire boxes is about half the battle. The new and differently operating boilers are expected to increase the efficiency of the Bradley Transportation Line vessel. In this type of Marine boiler, water is carried in tubes and heated from hot gases surrounding the tubes. In the type of boilers that are being replaced, the water was heated by tubes carrying the hot gases. Manual coal feeding will be replaced with automatic stokers and ash handling equipment. Rich

Rogers City Remembered posted
The 1911 Vulcan Steam Shovel: the first shovel used at the Calcite quarry when it opened - photo from 1948
Keith Haselhuhn: It is setting buy the main gate of Calcite-- right hand side You can drive up to it.
James Torgeson shared
This historic shovel is still on display at the main gate of the Carmeuse Calcite Operations, which was owned by US Steel for most of its existence. The limestone quarry is served by both lake freighter and trucks.

Dennis DeBruler commented on James' share
It has been preserved just outside the main gate.
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4111189,-83.7917185,168m/data=!3m1!1e3

Rogers City Remembered posted
John G. Munson getting help while docking - October 1952
Jim Stone: Loved seeing the tugs. Dolomite and Limestone.
James Torgeson shared
The new John G. Munson of US Steel’s Michigan Limestone Division is shown at her home port of Calcite (Rogers City). The Munson is still in service, although she’s now 768’ long and diesel powered. (She was originally 666’ long and was propelled by a steam turbine fed by coal-fired boilers.)
[There are several comments about the tugboats and the towing companies.]