Muscoda #5 Mine Power/Hoist House Remains

The Muscoda #5 Mine was part of TCI's Red Ore Mines Division along Red Mountain. Originally known as the Smith Mines in the 1890's Tennessee Coal, Iron & Railroad Company purchased them around 1898 and by the early 1900's had renamed them Muscoda. The Muscoda Mines were numbered
1-6. By the early 1930's preliminary core drilling on the south side of Muscoda #5 indicated a large rich deposit of underground limestone directly over the red ore seam. TCI decided to convert #5 into an underground limestone operation being the only one of its kind along Red Mountain.
The #5 power house was connected with the hoist house and for many years
operated on steam power for electricity which was derived from coal and water. The #5 hoist house was set back down and to the left of the loading tipple which require a huge concrete and steel bull wheel cable guide set in thick reinforced concrete to handle the heavy cable hoist hauling the loaded 10 ton skip car coming out of #5.
Underground mining operations at #5 Muscoda ended in 1955 when TCI shut down operations their. In 1956 Woodward Iron Company purchased the Muscoda Mines to incorporate them into their Pyne Mine operations that was located a few miles south.
Today almost nothing is left of the historic mines at Muscoda and these existing remains are due to be razed in the near future.