▁town ▁quickly ▁lost ▁population . ▁Fred a ▁continued ▁to ▁bo om ▁after ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁but ▁its ▁limited ▁market ▁prevent ed ▁any ▁other ▁growth ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁co pper ▁industry . ▁ ▁Champion ▁Mill ▁▁ ▁The ▁Champion ▁Mill ▁processed ▁co pper - b ear ing ▁rock ▁from ▁the ▁nearby ▁Champion ▁mines . ▁The ▁design ▁of ▁the ▁mill ▁was ▁based ▁upon ▁dump ing ▁co pper - filled ▁rocks ▁from ▁a ▁locomot ive ▁into ▁an ▁area ▁where ▁one ▁of ▁five ▁large ▁st amps ▁would ▁break ▁the ▁min er als ▁into ▁pieces . ▁Water ▁from ▁Lake ▁Super ior ▁was ▁added , ▁while ▁the ▁pieces ▁were ▁pul ver ized ▁by ▁iron ▁balls . ▁The ▁result ▁was ▁a ▁sl ud ge ▁that ▁was ▁forty ▁percent ▁co pper ▁or ▁more . ▁This ▁was ▁then ▁sent ▁by ▁locomot ive ▁to ▁Michigan ▁Sm elter , ▁near ▁H ought on , ▁from ▁which ▁the ▁co pper ▁was ▁made ▁into ▁ing ots ▁and ▁sh ipped ▁to ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁Much ▁of ▁Fred a ’ s ▁fundamental ▁character ▁and ▁identity ▁were ▁lost ▁with ▁the ▁closing ▁of ▁the ▁mill . ▁The ▁last ▁wh ist le ▁ble w ▁on ▁November ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 6 7 . ▁ ▁With ▁its ▁closing , ▁a ▁two - year ▁salv age ▁operation ▁began , ▁involving ▁the ▁removal ▁of ▁all ▁valuable ▁materials . ▁All ▁mach in ery ▁and ▁pipe ▁systems ▁were ▁g utt ed , ▁and ▁l umber ▁was ▁salv aged . ▁Even ▁the ▁steel ▁rails ▁for ▁the ▁train ▁system ▁were ▁taken , ▁due