The mine was originally discovered in 1906 however there was little interest in iron ore as a result of the discovery of gold in the Porcupine and Kirkland Lake regions. The site saw renewed interest in the second half of the 1950s and was subsequently developed by the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with first production in 1964. The Jones and Laughlin company operated the mine until 1971 when it was sold to Dofasco Steel of Hamilton Ontario. The mine was operated in tandem with the Dofasco owned Sherman Mine. The mine closed in 1990 when the economically retrievable ore reserves were exhausted. The closure also made the Sherman Mine uneconomic and it was also closed. The closure of the two mines in the Timiskaming District along with the resultant job losses left the region in economic hardship from which it has never fully recovered. Perched at one of the highest elevation points in the region, the mine stretched over and had six pits, the largest measuring over in length and the deepest being 183 m (600 ft), placing it below the water table; it is currently half filled with water.