On November 3, 1926, catastrophe struck the Barnes-Hecker mine near the small town of Ishpeming in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In less than fifteen minutes, the mine caved in when a torrent of mud, water and debris collapsed, taking the lives of fifty-one men. Forty-one men were never recovered. The accident was the worst iron ore mine disaster in the history of the State of Michigan, and indeed, the entire United States. Enduring Legacies gives voice to descendants, family members and others connected with the tragedy - and provides salient facts sourced from mine records, contemporaneous news stories, and rare documents and photographs. People from seventeen states and five countries (including the U.S.) participated in this enduring gift to posterity.
"Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster is about a shared experience, and it reveals that it was shared by many. Some of the chapters uncover the experience of people who did not lose a husband or father, but a friend, a fellow miner, or a member of a community. This book displays a support structure for a devastated community. Taken as a whole, it shows readers that the bonds between people affected by the disaster, whether it be in 1926 or 2026, make the legacy of the Barnes-Hecker an expanding story." (from the Foreword) -- Troy Henderson, Historian, Michigan History Center, Michigan Iron Industry Museum
From Modern History Press
About the Author :
Mary is a granddaughter of Walter Tippett, who perished in the Barnes-Hecker tragedy. In 2016, she led the 90th Anniversary Barnes-Hecker Remembrance Project, and continues to manage the Facebook page with a following of more than 850 people. She currently serves on the board of the Friends of the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee. In 1994, she conducted oral histories with underground miners of her Dad's generation, and all materials are in the Central Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan University Archives available online. The Tippett family genealogy has been traced back to the mid-1600s in Cornwall, England, with the first documentation of mining in the 1860s. Both the Finnish and Cornish sides of Mary's extended family including her Dad, brother, and son-in-law are among several generations of mining people. Mary is retired from the position of Senior Director of Marketing and Community Relations at Marquette General Health System (now U.P Health System), where she was also chief information officer during two events that drew national media attention. Mary was previously a writer/producer of local television commercials at WLUC-TV6. She holds a BA, Summa cum Laude, from Northern Michigan University, and was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society. She has been listed in Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the Media and Communications, and Who's Who in the Midwest. She has also received recognition for writing/graphic design work and special programs/events in the community. She served on the board of the Economic Club of Marquette County; was the first female chair of the congregation council of Messiah Lutheran Church; vice-chair of Friends of the DeVos Art Museum at Northern Michigan University; board member of the U.P. Children's Museum; chair of the Title One Parent Advisory Committee in the Royal Oak, Michigan, school system; and served on numerous other advisory committees and boards since the 1970s. In 1982, she initiated the effort to start the After School Program in the Marquette Area Public Schools and served on its board. The program has since grown and changed, but still serves school-aged children throughout Marquette County. She is a native of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, and has lived most of her life within 20 miles of the Barnes-Hecker Mine site.
Review :
"Enduring Legacies: The People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster presents the stories from descendants in a rich collection that reveals what happened to the widows, parents, siblings, and children after the sudden death of 51 men in a small and close-knit community. How did they cope in the days after the cave-in? How did they move on in the months and years after a chair at their dinner table remained vacant? How would they relay the stories of their loved ones to their grand-children and great-grandchildren? How did the memories of the 51 men, most of which are still entombed in the abandoned iron mine, weave through generations of people? This book is about a shared experience, and it reveals that it was shared by many. Some of the chapters uncover the experience of people who did not lose a husband or father, but a friend, a fellow miner, or a member of a community. This book displays a support structure for a devastated community. Taken as a whole, it shows readers that the bonds between people affected by the disaster, whether it be in 1926 or 2026, make the legacy of the Barnes-Hecker an expanding story." -- Troy Henderson, Historian, Michigan History Center, Michigan Iron Industry Museum
