Beukema mining collection
Collection — Box: SC
Identifier: S4595
University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections
Collection contains:
August 4, 1892, letter from Henry W. Oliver to Leonidas Merritt, president of Mt. Iron Company
$100,000 United States Steel Corporation Gold Bond (paid) to Andrew Carnegie
A September 16, 1904, canceled and paid check to Oliver Iron Mining Co. for $835,892.94.
Majority of material found in 1892, 1904
Beukema, Christian F., 1918?-1999 May 14 (Person)
Open for use in the Kathryn A. Martin Library, Archives and Special Collections.
Christian F. Beukema, 81, former president of U.S. Steel's Great Lakes Fleet and an instrumental figure in the push for extended season navigation on the Great Lakes, died May 14, 1999 at his home in Fort Myers, Florida.
Mr. Beukema was employed for more than 30 years with U.S. Steel Corp. He was president of Oliver Iron Mining Division from 1960 through 1964. During this time he was the industry's leader in the successful effort to obtain voter approval of the "taconite amendment" to the Minnesota Constitution which limited for 25 years the rate of increase on certain mining taxes. This amendment cleared the way for extensive development of the state's taconite industry as a replacement to the depleted natural ore mines.
After transferring to U.S. Steel headquarters in Pittsburgh, Mr. Beukema continued to manage the company's Minnesota mining operations as vice president of raw materials and lake shipping. In this role, he was the shipping industry's leading proponent of extending the navigation season beyond its traditional April-to-December limits. Under his guidance, Great Lakes Fleet always put the most vessels into winter operations during numerous experimental extended seasons in the late 60s and 70s. During two seasons, several Great Lakes Fleet vessels operated year-round. With the cooperation of the Lake Carriers' Association, U.S. government and other fleets, these efforts lead to the Great Lakes shipping season we see today, with vessels routinely running in January and, in some cases, February. In 1974, these efforts prompted the Council on Lake Erie Ports to name Mr. Beukema its Marine Man of the Year.
Mr. Beukema also lead Great Lakes Fleet during the years it built its 1,000-footers and lengthened the AAA boats -- two moves that proved to be crucial to its successful operations today. Mr. Beukema retired in 1979.
Collection contains: August 4, 1892, letter from Henry W. Oliver to Leonidas Merritt, president of Mt. Iron Company; $100,000 United States Steel Corporation Gold Bond (paid) to Andrew Carnegie; A September 16, 1904, canceled and paid check to Oliver Iron Mining Co. for $835,892.94.
This collection is located at the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives. For more information about this collection or to make an appointment, contact us at libarchives@d.umn.edu or 218-726-8526.
This collection is part of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, which are housed in the University of Minnesota Duluth Archives at the Kathryn A. Martin Library, and are on permanent loan from the St. Louis County Historical Society.
Business Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Carnegie, Andrew, 1835-1919 Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Iron mines and mining Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Iron ranges Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Iron ranges--Minnesota Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Letters Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
Merritt, Leonidas, 1844-1926
Oliver Iron Mining Company
Oliver, Henry William, 1840-1904
Saint Louis County (Minn.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
St. Louis County (Minn.) Subject Source: Lcnaf
Steel industry and trade Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
United States Steel Company
United States Steel Corporation
Guide to the Beukema mining collection
Finding Aid Authors: P. Maus.
Box: SC (Mixed Materials)
Contact The University of Minnesota Duluth Archives and Special Collections Collecting Area
https://lib.d.umn.edu/research-collections/archives
Kathryn A. Martin Library
University of Minnesota Duluth
416 Library Drive
Duluth MN 55812-3001
libarchives@d.umn.edu
Beukema mining collection, S4595, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, Archives and Special Collections, Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth.
Beukema mining collection, S4595, Northeast Minnesota Historical Collections, Archives and Special Collections, Martin Library, University of Minnesota Duluth. https://archives.lib.umn.edu/repositories/22/resources/8143 Accessed January 31, 2023.