Research Files
Scope and Contents
Collection, 1978-2010, of Larry Lankton, Professor Emeritus of History in the Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University. The collection primarily concerns Lankton’s research interests with regards to copper mining and technology in the western Upper Peninsula, beginning with his investigation of Quincy Mine at the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER, 1978-1981) and continuing through his tenure at Michigan Tech (1981-2010, retired 2012). This research material--largely pertaining to the Quincy, Calumet & Hecla, Copper Range, and White Pine companies--consists of photographs, statistics, summaries compiled by student assistants of diverse primary and secondary sources, and digests prepared by Lankton of the same, among other materials. Also included are items pertaining to Lankton’s professional career more broadly, such as papers presented at conferences or submitted to journals, correspondence with publishers, reviews of his written works, curricula vitae, and materials from courses taught by Lankton while at Michigan Tech.
Dates
- 1978-2010
Conditions Governing Access
Available for use in the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections.
Extent
From the Collection: 4.12 Cubic Feet (19 manuscript boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
The Research Files series contains materials compiled by Lankton or his student assistants to aid his investigation and publication of mining history in Michigan's Copper Country. The series is divided into three subseries: Industrial Technology and Operations, Industrial Labor, and Industrial Community.
The Industrial Technology and Operations subseries consists of research files pertaining to machinery, production, and management of local copper mines. Materials include photographs of equipment and tools used by local mines, images and diagrams of mining structures, biographies of key figures in Copper Country mining corporations, and various items pertaining to historic preservation of local structures, among other documents.
The Industrial Labor subseries is concerned primarily with the experiences of the working class in Copper Country mines. Contents include but are not limited to photographs of workers, statistics on injuries and accidents in the mines, and sources pertaining to the 1913-1914 Western Federations of Miners strike.
Finally, the Industrial Community subseries contains research materials addressing corporate paternalism, the settlements that grew around the mines, and the lives of individuals and groups who called these towns home. Documents include photographs of houses and community structures, summaries of primary sources on such topics as health and employment outside the mines, family histories, and other materials.
Repository Details
Part of the Michigan Technological University Archives and Copper Country Historical Collections Repository