After over 20 years in the making, the Ely Arts and Heritage Center Board unveiled the Ely Miners Memorial at the Pioneer Mine, honoring 218 men who died in Ely area mines throughout nearly 80 years in operation.
The two Mesaba granite stones include carved names for those who died on the jobsite or due to an accident on the jobsite, beginning in 1888 with the Chandler Mine’s opening and continuing until the Pioneer Mine’s closure on April 1, 1967.
“The history of that mining, the history of what happened in our community, is kept alive today through the works of this board, through the City of Ely preserving this site, and for all the people who come here to learn about it,” said Ely Arts and Heritage Board president Nick Wognum.
Ely native Michele Lammi spearheaded the project’s research, which involved efforts by volunteers, the Ely-Winton and Iron Range Historical Societies and the St. Louis County Inspector of Mines Office.
“This truly was a labor of love for me,” Lammi said. “At the end, it felt like I knew each miner personally. I hope we did right by the miners we remember with this memorial.”
The research team dug through countless old newspaper clippings, death certificates and legal records. They visited local cemeteries in rain and snow to ensure information accuracy and searched websites and historical societies.
“Many of the news articles of these deaths were unpleasant to read,” Lammi said. “Men fell down holes, drifts collapsed. Many were killed by getting caught between train cars and in explosions.”
“Because of those accidents, our grandmas and grandpas lost a son, wives suffered the unbearable loss of the death of their husband. Kids like my classmates and friends lost their fathers, grandfathers, uncles,” said Bill Erzar, a volunteer guide at Pioneer Mine. “That was very hard for us.”
Lammi said the names carved into the memorial are only “the most obvious” local mining deaths, and do not include the many others who died from mining-associated diseases like pneumonia, lung cancer and COPD, or those whose deaths were never formally recorded as mining accidents.
The dedication ceremony included a song by local musician and writer Doug Luthanen, “Stains of Toil.” Luthanen’s father, Matt Luthanen, worked for 37 years in the Pioneer Mine and inspired the song’s lyrics through a letter he wrote.
“Matt was a bit of a poet,” Doug Luthanen said. “In that letter, he scrawled the line: ‘And not only does one leave behind the stains of toil, but also chills, aches and pains.’” “Those words stayed with me for decades,” Luthanen said.
While “doodling” on the piano in 2014, Luthanen pieced the song together with evocative chords and a descending intro and outro sequence to mirror the underground descent miners followed each day on their way to the jobsite.
“I can’t help but think about the men who had to go to work not knowing if they would come home at the end of their shift,” said Roger Skraba, state representative and IRRR Advisory Board member. “Things have greatly changed since those times, and if we’ve learned anything, profit does not usurp life.”
Fundraising launched after the project’s 2008 announcement, which was followed by official approval from the City of Ely in 2011.
“These men chose to work the dirty, difficult, and dangerous jobs as far as 1,700 feet below the surface, to earn a living wage and provide for their families,” said Ely city council member Albert Forsman.
“But the work they did was much bigger than simply putting food on a table or a roof over their heads. These mines provided the ore that built America, and it was critically important in defending the free world in two world wars.
“It’s truly important that these brave souls’ names are etched in stone to be remembered for their significant contributions to the American story. The city of Ely is grateful to all that made this memorial a reality,” said Forsman.
Significant funds from the IRRRB, the City of Ely and Twin Metals Minnesota financed the project, accompanied by small and large donations from individuals.
“We have a keen understanding that were it not for the people like my grandfather, great grandfather, great-great grandfather and countless others who worked in the mines to build Ely and to supply the American economy with iron ore, that none of us would be here today,” said IRRR legal counsel Stacey Scholz. “None of us would be able to call Ely home.”
The Miner’s Memorial represents the IRRR’s mining lands reclamation work, which transforms former industrial landscapes into destinations for education, economic growth or community enjoyment.
“As a family member of one of the fallen miners, I personally want to thank you for not giving up,” Skraba said. “The miner’s memorial is worth every minute and dollar spent.”
“These men that died in the mines will now have a lasting memorial to them and to remind us of their hard work bringing this iron ore to the surface to build this nation,” Erzar said.
Family members were asked to speak as well. Talking about her grandfather, Casper Rom, being listed on the memorial, Becky Rom spoke at the dedication.
“He died in the Chandler mine on January 4th, 1918. At the time he died, he’d worked in Ely as a minor for about 27 years. He came over here in 1890 and he left behind eight children. The youngest of which was my father who was one month old when his father was killed in a cave-in on Chandler Mine,” said Rom.
A video of the event is available on the elyecho.com website.
