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.