05/19/2026
Painesdale Mine and Shaft, Inc. (PM&S), in partnership with America250MI, is pleased to announce the final phase of preservation work on the historic Hexagonal Water Tank Building at the Champion #4 Mine Site in Painesdale, MI. The project will include a new roof for the building as well as the installation of an informational sign during the summer of 2026. America250MI is providing partial funding of $11k for the work as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The improvements to the Water Tank Building principally reflect America250MI’s Guiding Theme of the Power of Place. Copper was integral to the growth of the nation as technologies advanced. Mining that copper required many workers. To attract and retain employees in the remote copper mines of the Upper Peninsula, the mining companies needed to provide more than just a job, they needed to provide housing and services so workers could build a life. Providing clean water to the workers and their families is one example of this corporate paternalism. Built in 1940, the Water Tank Building expanded on Copper Range’s existing residential water service by providing a facility to store and distribute clean water sourced from an aquifer in the mine. Copper Range distributed this water to the residential areas near the mine, as well as to the nearby communities of Houghton and Hancock. This water service continued even after the mine closed in 1967 with Adams Township taking over responsibility for the Water Tank Building and the adjacent structures.
After sitting unused for decades, Adams Township donated the Water Tank Building to PM&S in 2023 for future preservation and interpretation. PM&S subsequently completed several stabilization and environmental cleanup projects. With support from America250MI, the installation of a new roof and interpretive sign this summer will put the finishing touches on this important building. The Water Tank Building will serve as an ideal introduction to the how the mining companies had influence beyond the immediate workplace; the building will help illustrate the challenges the workers faced in their daily lives and how the companies worked toward providing solutions.
America250MI is Michigan’s statewide initiative coordinating programs, partnerships, and storytelling for the United States Semiquincentennial. Together with communities across the state, America250MI celebrates Michigan’s past, present, and future through the 250th anniversary and beyond. Learn more at www.America250MI.org
