A Brief History of the Lower Harbor Ore Dock

Marquette’s Lower Harbor Ore Dock was constructed for loading iron ore from nearby mines’ rail cars onto ore boats for further transport. With railway tracks along the top, rail cars would bottom dump (gravity feed) ore into “pockets." Each pocket’s hinged chute lowered to drop the ore into the hold of a ship moored adjacent to the dock. The pockets are wider at the top than the bottom; the chutes are steel and project out over the water at a slight angle from the sides of the dock. The Ore Dock was decommissioned in 1971, and has remained unused since that time. The dormant structure is currently inaccessible to the public. Engineering analyses have revealed that the dock's timber pilings are in good condition. The Ore Dock BotEco Center will honor the history of the dock and preserve the rustic character of current structure.  

• Constructed between 1931 to 1932
• The original construction cost $1,350,000 ($20,000,000 in 2012 dollars)
• Built by the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad
• Subsequently owned by Soo Line, Wisconsin Central, and Canadian National Railroads
• Dock length: 969 feet
• Dock height: 85 feet, 7 inches
• Dock width: 67 feet, 9.5 inches
• Number of ore pockets: 150
• Original weight capacity: 56,250 tons
• Footprint approximately 1.5 acres
• Steel reinforced concrete construction set on timber pilings in lake bed

Friends of Ore Dock BotEco's development plans will preserve the historic nature of this impressive structure while improving public access and creating a sustainable, world-class community center.

*Photos courtesy of the City of Marquette website