(ISHPEMING, MI) Nearly a century ago, a historic tragedy struck the small mining town of Ishpeming in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula when the Barnes-Hecker mine collapsed, claiming the lives of 51 men. It was the worst mining disaster in Michigan history and the deadliest iron ore mine disaster in the history of the United States. This tragedy is commemorated in a new book titled Enduring Legacies: People of the 1926 Barnes-Hecker Mine Disaster (Modern History Press, 2025) by Mary V. Tippett.
Released on June 15, Enduring Legacies is the first book of Mary V. Tippett. It revisits the November 3, 1926, catastrophe through the eyes of the people who experienced it, and the generations of people affected by it. Thanks to the many people whose stories are contained between its covers, the book includes 175 photos, most of which have never been published before.
The narrative provides the names of the lost men and their wives, the efforts by the mining company and community to render aid and comfort to the families, the names of the men remaining on the surface at the time of the tragedy, and the experiences of the people in the unfolding disaster. Of the 51 lost men, 42 were married and nine were single. The book contains stories from 26 of the lost men, the lone survivor, and men on the surface and/or involved in recovery efforts. The book also includes some historical revelations.
The Barnes-Hecker tragedy has been an integral part of the Tippett family’s history. Since the author’s paternal grandfather, Walter Tippett, was locally well known, his story has been told in the media over several decades. Other families did not have the same opportunity to have their stories told.
“What began as my desire to interview as many families as possible became the genesis for a book at the suggestion of the historians at the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee, Michigan,” says Mary V. Tippett.
Comments from the families illuminate the importance of this work. Descendants from the East Coast told the author, “So if we hadn’t come to talk with you, no one would have known about us?”
From Finland, the author heard, “We’ve known about this tragedy for our whole lives and now we are in a book!”
And from a chance encounter at the Marquette Regional History Center, she was told, “My great-grandpa was the last person to go to and from the mine before the cave-in, but nobody cares about us because we didn’t lose anyone.”
Each perspective offers its own legacy ranging from the spirit to build a new life and not letting the tragedy define us to a deeper appreciation of life.
Modern History Press will release paperback, hardcover, and eBook editions available to be ordered wherever books are sold. An audiobook in development will be available in August 2025 on Apple iTunes and Audible.com platforms. U.P. libraries can receive a complimentary paperback copy by contacting the publisher.
