The Mitchell Engine House was built in 1906 by the Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railroad. The DM&N was owned by U.S. Steel which also owned the DM&IR. In 1938 the two railroads merged under the DM&IR banner. Adjacent to the engine house were the towns of Mitchell and Redore. They were built by the railroad for their employees. The building was constructed using more than 2.2 million lbs. of brick, 1000 tons of concrete, and more than 100 tons of riveted structural steel. Mitchell Yards and and the Mitchell Engine House helped our country win two world wars. The war effort required massive quantities of iron ore and this structure helped make it possible. At one point during the second world war, iron ore trains were arriving in Duluth every 15 minutes. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota recently placed the Mitchell Engine House on their list of the 10 most endangered historic places in Minnesota. An effort is being made to save this structure and fix it up to make it usable again. Check out www.mitchellyards.com for info and what the plans are for this structure.
