This is a picture that was sent through the mail with a stamp and a note saying that this is the Ashland Ore Dock and it is about to be torn down.
2011
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The harbor of Ashland is dominated by the massive Wisconsin Central Railway (later Soo Line) ore dock, built in 1916 to load iron ore mined in the area into freighters bound for ports in the Rust Belt. The last of what were once many such docks, the concrete structure is 80 feet (24 m) high and 75 feet (23 m) wide and in 1925 the dock was extended to 1,800 feet (550 m); it was last used to ship ore in 1965.
The main concrete structure and trestle has slowly deteriorated since the early 1970s because of lack of maintenance and the effects of the environment. According to a structural inspection completed in 2006 and 2007, the ore dock has become structurally unsafe and an imminent safety hazard. On May 14, 2009, the Ashland Planning Commission granted Canadian National approval for a plan for the demolition. All material on the ore dock will be removed down to the concrete base. Demolition was originally expected to be complete by December 2010, however a permitting dispute delayed action and as of Fall 2011 demolition has not yet begun.
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