Zenith Mine, mine rescue crew at fresh air base

Abstract

The image shows three miners in mine rescue gear operating a mine rescue telephone set at the fresh air base, Zenith Mine. The Zenith Mine in the Vermillion Range near Ely, Minnesota was opened in 1892 by the Minnesota Iron Company. The Mine was later operated by Pickands, Mather and Company. Pickands, Mather and Company was established in 1883 as an iron mining and shipping firm with interests in the Lake Superior region. It was one of the large mining companies that consolidated smaller properties in the regional iron ranges in the early 1900s. The Company became one of the largest iron ore companies in the US.