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Mining explorations
in the late 1800s by a group of brothers from Duluth – known as the
"Seven Iron Men" – paved the way for the opening of the
Mesabi Range and a way of life that, for the past century, has defined
one of Minnesota's most distinct regions.
As a result of the exploits by these seven men, mining of iron ore began
around the turn of the century and has been the lifeblood for the Range
ever since. Immigrants from many countries – Finland, Sweden, Slovenia
and Croatia – came to these small northern communities, from Grand
Rapids and Coleraine on the west to Eveleth and Babbitt on the east, in
search of work in the mines. It was this first group of Finns, Swedes
and Slovaks that established a set of values that continue to define the
area today: hard work, resolve, commitment and American pride.
Mining activities in the early 1900s usually dictated where people would
take root and communities were formed. One of the earliest established
mines was located in the tiny town of Eveleth, in the heart of the Iron
Range. It was from here that tons of iron ore were dug up, delivered by
rail to Duluth and shipped to American steel mills to make American products.
It was at about the same time, just after the turn of the century, that
another group of seven did some exploring of their own. These seven participated
in one of this state's first recorded hockey games in downtown Eveleth.
While the Iron Seven established the mining industry, it was these seven
who pioneered a game that in many respects has mirrored the trials and
tribulations of the mining industry.
As reported by the Eveleth Mining News on January 24, 1902:
"The first hockey game of the season was played last evening at the
Eveleth Rink between Two Harbors and the Local Seven."
So began the start of hockey on the Range.
The
iron ore poured
As the years passed the door,
The drag lines an' the shovels they was
a-humming.
Like the mining industry,
the game of hockey had its ups and downs in those early years. But by
1940, the mining industry was thriving – shipping more than a half-million
tons of iron ore to build American planes and American tanks during World
War II – and the game of hockey had firmly rooted itself on the Iron
Range, and in particular, Eveleth.
"There were so many, many good hockey players back then," said
David Hendrickson, who grew up in Eveleth and is currently Minnesota Hockey's
director of the Iron Range district.
"There were a lot of kids playing hockey in the '40s and '50s, guys
like John Mayasich. And the good players back then were just as good as
the good players you see today. We were fortunate growing up – we
got to watch a lot of great hockey players come out of Eveleth,"
said Hendrickson, who himself played college hockey at Michigan Tech.
While the Iron Range stretches 100 miles east to west, the total population
is no larger than a couple of the metro area's larger suburbs, which makes
the production of so many great hockey players all that more amazing.
On the west side of the Range, Grand Rapids and Coleraine have produced
no fewer than 75 Division I players, and continue to do so today. The
heart of the Iron Range could be said to extend from Hibbing to Eveleth.
While Hibbing has produced many great hockey players, it's the tiny town
of Eveleth that is known as a hockey incubator because of all the great
players it has produced.
Players included Great Eveleth hockey demigods John Mariucci and John
Mayasich. Names such as Ikola, Brimsek, LoPresti . . . the list goes on
and on.
Great players also came from the east side of the range, an area identifiable
by record-setting low temperatures (Embarrass, Minn.) and the ability
to tune in a polka 24-7 on the radio. Players such as Bob Lakso (UMD)
from Aurora, Matt Christensen (UMD) from Hoyt Lakes and Buzz Schneider
(U of M) from Babbitt. It's truly amazing how many great players came
from an area with such small populations. Players that, like their communities,
were hard-nosed and hard-working, with gritty character.
It was during the '40s and '50s however, coinciding with the peak output
of the mines, that the Range experienced its finest years. Mayasich, perhaps
the greatest Minnesota-born player ever, led an Eveleth juggernaut to
four consecutive high school state championships from 1948 to 1951, a
streak that included 69 consecutive wins and individual records from Mayasich
that still stand today. From 1952 to 1956, Eveleth captured four of five
state Bantam A championships, two of which were capped by national championships
in '53 and '54.
But just as it seemed the Range had firmly established itself, the stress
of the heavy mining during the past half-century took its toll and finally
depleted the area's supply of high-grade iron ore.
…Oh
the years passed again
And the given' was good . . .
Then the shaft was soon shut
And more work was cut . . .
Ironically, it would
be scientists from the University of Minnesota, the same campus that was
the recipient of Eveleth star players John Mariucci and John Mayasich,
that would return the favor to the area by developing a process to mine
taconite, a low-grade ore. This process would revitalize the area and
give miners the opportunity to continue what was becoming a way of life
for generations.
As these taconite processing plants began to open, communities formed
around the operations. On the east side of the Range, Hoyt Lakes was one
such community. The city prospered to such a degree that by 1970, they
had an indoor ice arena. But by the mid '80's, a recession hit and the
mine nearly closed.
"Back then there were many great hockey players coming out of this
area and going to Division I schools such as UMD and the University of
Minnesota," said Paul Stark, president of Mesabi East Hockey Association,
which includes the towns of Aurora, Hoyt Lakes and Biwabik.
"We had a lot of kids and the hockey was really good up here. Unfortunately
this area was just peaking when the recession hit," recalls Stark.
"We lost nearly 30 percent of our population by the mid-eighties,
and it's never really picked up since."
.
. . They complained in the East,
They are paying too high.
They say that your ore
ain't worth digging . . .
Now it seems, nearly
two decades later, parts of the range are faced with a similar reality.
Just last summer, after a half-century of mining taconite, the final shift
was worked at the LTV mine near Hoyt Lakes. When the last train pulled
away fully loaded for the docks of Duluth, overflowing in the string of
a hundred-plus rail cars were the last pieces of earth to be mined from
the area in the foreseeable future. What wasn't riding in those cars,
however, is the determination, resolve and commitment that has been the
cornerstone of the area for nearly a century.
"We have a chance of holding our own," said Stark, whose association
won't field a Bantam team this season for the first time in recent memory.
"Our numbers are down [from 7-9th grade], but by providing free equipment
and free ice time, we have a lot of young kids signing up again. By doing
this, we'll turn the corner and keep our youth going. I want to be optimistic:
the Range is such a special place because everyone sticks together."
Each season Hoyt Lakes holds the Mike Kangis Memorial Squirt Tournament
Feb. 8-10 and a Peewee B tournament Feb. 1-3. Both tournaments attract
teams from throughout the state who venture to the Iron Range to take
in the North Woods and experience hockey's history and heritage.
"The rink in Hoyt Lakes is so nice," said Stark. "It's
a shame it's not used more."
For more information
on Hoyt Lakes
tournaments, call 218-225-2191.
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