On November 3, 1926, the ground gave way at the Barnes-Hecker iron mine west of Ishpeming, and the mine filled with quicksand and water in about fifteen minutes. Fifty-one men died. Forty-one of them were never brought up. This is the story in 31 seconds, read by Yooper Hub editor Keegan O’Brien.
What the video says
November third, nineteen twenty-six, a block of ground broke loose in Barnes-Hecker mine. In about fifteen minutes, the mine filled with quicksand and water. Fifty-one men died.
One got out. Rutherford Wills, a twenty-two-year-old motorman, climbed about eight hundred feet of ladders. The men close behind him were overtaken by the sand. Ten were brought up that month.
Saturday at eleven, a memorial park is dedicated at the mine site, with a plaque for each of the fifty-one.
Go and pay respects
Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park is dedicated Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. on County Road CL in Ely Township, just west of Ishpeming. It sits at the site of the old mine, with a plaque for each of the 51 men.
The full story of the disaster and the man who climbed out: Michigan’s Worst Mine Disaster Took 51 Men in 15 Minutes.
The receipts
- Engineering and Mining Journal, Nov. 13, 1926, p. 781: 51 dead; the mine filled with quicksand and water within fifteen minutes; one man, a motorman on the second level, escaped; companions close behind him were overtaken by the sand; levels at 600, 800 and 1,000 feet; seven bodies out that night.
- Engineering and Mining Journal, Nov. 20, 1926, p. 826: three more found Nov. 9; the remaining 41 unlikely to be reached.
- U.S. Bureau of Mines summary (via miningquiz): the back of a stope caved into the overlying glacial drift; Wills, 22, climbed 800 feet of ladders.
- Find a Grave: Rutherford John “Wilfred” Wills.
- The Mining Journal, Feb. 2026: 41 miners still entombed. The Mining Journal, May 2026: the park is at the mine site, with 51 plaques.
- WLUC, Aug. 6, 2026: dedication Saturday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m., County Road CL, Ely Township.
- Map data: Natural Earth (public domain). The mine diagram is schematic: level depths are to scale, the positions of the shaft and stope are illustrative.
Graphics and voice: Yooper Hub. If one of the 51 was your family, we would like to know his name.
More worth reading
Sources, credits, and reporting details
Sources & accountability
How this story was reported
Editorial methodArchival synthesis
Last verifiedOct. 6, 2026
Corrections statusNo material correction note is recorded on this article.
AI assistanceResearched and drafted with AI tools. Reviewed and approved by editor Keegan O’Brien.
Verification note: Original reel: graphics and voice by Yooper Hub (Keegan O'Brien read). Published to Facebook, Instagram and YouTube via Metricool Oct 6, 2026, 4:00 PM ET. Mine diagram is schematic; level depths to scale.
Primary sources
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Barnes-Hecker mine disaster report — Engineering and Mining Journal
Published Nov. 13, 1926. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
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Barnes-Hecker follow-up — Engineering and Mining Journal
Published Nov. 20, 1926. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
Additional reporting
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Barnes-Hecker (USBM summary) — U.S. Mine Disasters (miningquiz)
Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
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Rutherford John Wills — Find a Grave
Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
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Barnes-Hecker 100th anniversary events announced — The Mining Journal
Published Feb. 12, 2026. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
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Ground broken at Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park — The Mining Journal
Published May. 23, 2026. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
Supports: "The park is at the site of the old Barnes-Hecker mine" / "51 plaques, one for each lost miner"
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Barnes-Hecker Memorial Park dedication rescheduled — WLUC TV6
Published Aug. 6, 2026. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026.
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Natural Earth 1:10m lakes and populated places — Natural Earth
Accessed Oct. 6, 2026. Public domain.
Photo and media credits
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Photo of the caved area, Barnes-Hecker (featured image, media 3004) — Engineering and Mining Journal
Featured image record. Published Nov. 13, 1926. Accessed Oct. 6, 2026. Public domain (US, published 1926).