Home of Peter Mitchell Days (The founder of Taconite) and Northshore Mine (A Cleveland Cliffs Company)

The earliest traces of man in the Babbitt area have been uncovered on the north end of Birch Lake. This ancient Indian life dating back to 500 BC has been identified as the Laurel Indian culture.

History reveals little activity in this area until the late 1800's. In 1885 an experienced woodsman, Christian Wieland, guided Henry Eames, a Minnesota state geologist, to Lake Vermilion near Tower, Minnesota. As they crossed the eastern edge of the Mesabi Range near Babbitt, Wieland pointed out the iron ore in the rocks. Wieland brought out samples of high-grade-ore and these samples of ore created interest and led to the formation of the Ontonagon Syndicate in 1869. It's purpose was to explore mineral areas of Minnesota and acquire land. Peter Mitchell of the Syndicate prospected the land and in 1871 sank a six foot test pit. Fellow Syndicate members were not nearly as interested as Mitchell so interest dropped rapidly

For the next 25 years the natural ores of the western Mesabi were being discovered and exploited, hence the eastern Mesabi taconite was quickly forgotten.

In 1919 the Mesabi Iron Company, formerly the Ontonagon Syndicate, built a commercial plant ( world's first taconite plant ) which operated from 1920 to 1924. A few logging operations were also active between 1900 and 1930. In 1939, four steel firms organized Reserve Mining Company and leased Mesabi Iron Company's property and from 1939 to 1950 they tested the minerals. In 1951, Reserve Mining Company planned and constructed the present major taconite operation. At that time, Pace and Associates of Chicago were hired as planners and John W. Galbreath of Columbus, Ohio was contracted for the town's construction.

In the 1940's the National Geographic Society declared Lake Vermilion one of the top ten most scenic lakes in the United States. And it still is today. With its 40,000 acres of water, 365 islands and 1200 miles of shoreline, it stretches 40 miles across the heart of Minnesota's Arrowhead Region.

Discover the Ely Difference! Here, you'll experience the best of both worlds - the relaxed atmosphere of smaller-town living yet many of the advantages of big-city living. Ely offers not only the ultimate in wilderness experiences, but also some of the finest restaurants and shopping opportunities as well as many fine resorts and varied year-round recreation experiences. Whether you're canoeing into the unspoiled, world-famous Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness or relaxing at one of Ely's full-service resorts, you're sure to discover the Ely Difference! If you are looking for a relaxing retreat, you've come to the right place. Relaxing here is easy. The air is clear, the water pure, the woods are inspiring, the sights breathtaking, and the night sky is bright with millions of stars. Once you Experience Ely, you'll understand how life takes on new meaning. Ron Schara, the star of ESPN2 television's Backroads with Ron & Raven has this to say about the Ely area: "I love Ely and its famed wilderness area. It's also ironic because my longtime hero, journalist and author Charles Kuralt chose Ely as his #1 vacation destination."

http://ely.org/

http://www.elyminnesota.com/