James MacNaughton (born March 4, 1864), also variously known as "the King of Houghton County ", the "Czar of the Copper Country " or simply "Big Jim" was an American business executive. He was general manager and the third president of the

Calumet and Hecla Mining Company The Calumet and Hecla Mining Company was a major copper-mining company based within Michigan's Copper Country. In the 19th century, the company paid out more than $72 million in shareholder dividends, more than any other mining company in the Uni ...

, including during the

Copper Country Strike of 1913–1914 Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-or ...

Biography

MacNaughton was born in

Bruce Mines Bruce Mines is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located on the north shore of Lake Huron in the Algoma District along Highway 17. The town of Bruce Mines had a population of 582 residents in 2016. The current mayor of Bruce Mines is L ...

, Canada West on March 4, 1864. His father brought his family to Calumet after he found employment with the Calumet & Hecla. In 1876 and aged 12, MacNaughton followed his father's footsteps by becoming Hecla's water boy in

Hubbell, Michigan Hubbell is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Houghton County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 946, down from 1,105 at the 2000 census. The community is partially within T ...

. In time, he progressed to switch tender and then an engineer of the stationary engine on the mine tram road. After graduating from a high school and receiving a bachelor's degree in engineering from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, MacNaughton moved to the engineering department.Graham Jaehnig
James MacNaughton becomes superintendent of C&H
''The Daily Mining Gazette'', February 13, 2016 He was offered to become superintendent of the Chapin Iron mine in

Iron Mountain, Michigan Iron Mountain is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 7,518 at the 2020 census, down from 7,624 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dickinson County, in the state's Upper Peninsula. Iron Mountain was named for the va ...

and accepted this position. In 1901,

Alexander Agassiz Alexander Emmanuel Rodolphe Agassiz (December 17, 1835March 27, 1910), son of Louis Agassiz and stepson of Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, was an American scientist and engineer. Biography Agassiz was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and immigrated to ...

hired him to manage the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co. Under MacNaughton's management the company grew and employed 5,000 people in 1906. At the same time, MacNaughton reduced operating costs in half. During the

Copper Country strike of 1913–1914 Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-or ...

he organized mine owners and asked Governor

Woodbridge N. Ferris Woodbridge Nathan Ferris (January 6, 1853March 23, 1928) was an American educator from New York, Illinois and Michigan who served as the 28th governor of Michigan and in the United States Senate as a Democrat. Early life in New York, Michigan a ...

to deploy the

Michigan National Guard The Michigan National Guard consists of the Michigan Army National Guard and the Michigan Air National Guard. The State adjutant general is Major general Paul D. Rogers. Units Michigan Army National Guard units include: * Recruiting Office: Bay ...

to secure control over mines. MacNaughton received death threats. When interviewed, MacNaughton blamed the

Western Federation of Miners The Western Federation of Miners (WFM) was a labor union that gained a reputation for militancy in the mines of the western United States and British Columbia. Its efforts to organize both hard rock miners and smelter workers brought it into s ...

for the strike, In 1916, MacNaughton distributed bronze, silver and gold service medals designed by

Victor David Brenner Victor David Brenner (born Avigdor David Brenner; June 12, 1871 – April 5, 1924) was an American sculptor, engraver, and medalist known primarily as the designer of the United States Lincoln Cent. Biography Brenner was born to Jewish parents ...

with images of

Quincy Adams Shaw Quincy Adams Shaw (February 8, 1825June 12, 1908) was a Boston Brahmin investor and business magnate who was the first president of Calumet and Hecla Mining Company. Family and early life Shaw came from a famous and moneyed Boston family. With ...

and

to long time workers of the Calumet & Hecla Mining Co. In addition to the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, MacNaughton managed the Ahmeek Mining Company, Allouez Mining Company, North Kearsarge mine, South Kearsarge mine, Tamarack Mining Company, Osceola Consolidated Copper Company, St. Louis Copper Company, Laurium Mining Company, La Salle Copper Company, Isle Royale Copper Company, Superior Copper Company, and the Centennial Copper Mining Company. MacNaughton also held a position as the Chairman of the Houghton County Board of Supervisors and became the first chairman of Miscowaubik, a private business club headquartered in

Calumet, Michigan Calumet ( or ) is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U.S. state of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, that was once at the center of the mining industry of the Upper Peninsula. Also known as Red Jacket, the village includes the C ...

. He died after a long illness on May 26, 1949, in Calumet, Michigan at the age of 85.

Recognition

The

MacNaughton Cup The MacNaughton Cup is a trophy awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). The trophy is named after James MacNaughton of Calumet, Michigan, who was a supporter of amateur ice h ...

was named in his honor in 1913 due to his support of amateur ice hockey. It is awarded annually to the regular season conference champion of the

Western Collegiate Hockey Association The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) is a college athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I as a women's ice hockey-only conference. From 1951 to 1999, it operated a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:MacNaughton, James 1864 births 1949 deaths Calumet and Hecla Mining Company personnel People from Algoma District University of Michigan alumni Canadian emigrants to the United States American miners