Ore Dock Overlook Traditional Cache

Be advised this is an extremely popular area for teenagers doing things that their mothers probably wouldn't approve of . Especially in the late evening and at night. But don't let that deter you, it'll be worth it. Trust me.


In 1893, four ore docks were built here by the Duluth Missabe & Northern Railway Company. The railroad was founded by the Merritt brothers and then sold to John D. Rockefeller 1894. Rockefeller in turn sold the railroad to United States Steel in 1901. At the same time another railroad, the Duluth & Iron Range Railroad, was hauling ore between the Mesabi Range and the ore docks at Two Harbors. Both companies were owned by USS but operated independently from 1901 until 1938 when the two companies merged to become the Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway. During World War II, the railroad played a very large part in quelling the nation's hunger for steel with over 130 million tons of ore being hauled between 1938-1942. It was and still is the largest iron ore carrying railway in North America. In 2004 the DM&IR railway and all marine operations were sold to Canadian National (CN)Railway. This is the first time in over a hundred years that the railroad isn't associated with United States Steel. Today there are only two docks and the southwestern-most is no longer in operation. Maybe if you're lucky you'll see a laker filling up with some ore, or even a train chugging up the grade heading back to the range. Enjoy!

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"Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 24 Mar 2006, 02:23 UTC. 18 Apr 2006, 06:00 .