Quincy Smelting Works, Ripley, MI
The Quincy Mining Company operated the smelter complex in Ripley from 1898 to 1967. Copper was first smelted here from the mines in the copper country, then from Quincy's reclamation plant. The smelter remained open until 1971, in which time it continued to melt scrap copper. Numerous buildings still exist at this site, among which includes the building that housed a three story blast furnace.
I was out at the site in early 2003. The site is clearly marked with "No Trespassing" signs. From my research it appears that the site is owned by Franklin Township (in which Ripley is located). The town would like to restore the building and make it part of the Keweenaw National Historic Park, but they currently lack the funds. A Lansing company was considering working with the state and the township to restore the building back in May of 2003, but I haven't heard any new news on this issue since then.
When visiting this site, I explored most of the buildings there. There are a few that are still boarded up quite well, making it impossible to get in without damaging the building. I would not recommend entering the buildings on this site as it is still wached by the local police, and there are intentions of restoring the buildings. I took photos of most of the buildings, but I ran out of film, so not all of the buildings that I visited have interior photos. I did manage to take close to 100 photos of the interior.
njp -- 5 November 2003