A Glimpse into the Archives: Mining Company Medicine

Calumet & Hecla Mining Company letterbook, used by Alexander Agassiz to keep a record of hand-written business letters.

Calumet and Hecla Mining Companies Collection, MS-002, box 104, book 1, Michigan Tech Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections, Houghton, MI. NPS Photo/E Day

History has always been a mixture of facts and our human understanding of events—how something happened, why it happened, and what else it affected. The past is not set in stone because, like when a new fossil or species is discovered, our understanding changes when new facts are uncovered or new eyes look at old sources.

Historians usually start by going to archives for primary sources, items created during an event or by the people directly involved. These can be letters, newspapers, legal documents, or any other object holding clues about the past. Thanks to the archivists who do the important job of keeping everything safe and organized, we can glimpse moments in history as if we were there.

To find out how primary sources build our understanding, put on your “historian’s hat” and take a look at these documents from real archives here in the Keweenaw. Each has guiding questions and an explanation, but feel free to disagree! History is a conversation about the past, meaning everyone brings a different and sometimes conflicting viewpoint to the table.

 

Several historic documents fanned out on a table.

W R Todd to Chas. L. Lawton, April 10, 1916, Quincy Mining Company Collection, MS-001, box 336, folder 17, Michigan Tech Archives & Copper Country Historical Collections, Houghton, MI. NPS Photo

A Historian’s Tools

The first thing any historian needs is a research topic. The following pages all come from local copper mining companies talking about their employee medical departments between 1900 and 1920. Many companies were paternalist, meaning they saw themselves as father figures and believed they would make better profits if they controlled what employees did outside of their jobs. Some workers lived in company houses, sent their children to company-funded schools, and were treated by company doctors.

The companies offered modern, lifesaving medicine to many, but they had their own motivations. How did their paternalist business mindset shape their healthcare programs? Using these records, we can understand how they acted, why they made certain choices, and what effect they had on the world around them.

Historians also need context, the information surrounding their topic. During this period, these companies experienced a dip in copper market prices after decades of success, and a large labor strike happened in 1913-14. Keep in mind how these factors may have affected managers’ opinions on costs or employees.

Be aware that files from the companies do not always represent the workers, and a few pages out of thousands do not give a full understanding of the companies. Sometimes the most helpful thing a source does is bring up questions or point to different evidence. If you look at more than one section, search for moments where the documents connect or bring you to a new conclusion.

Happy researching!

 

To start the activity, click on a link below.

Take on the role of a historian by exploring records of area mining companies in the research activities below. Each link will study a group of documents, provide context, and a perspective from a historian.