The Mitchell Engine House was built in 1906 by the Duluth, Missabe & Northern Railroad for the sole purpose of servicing the steam locomotives being used at the time to move ore from Minnesota's Iron Range to the docks in Duluth, MN. Adjacent to the engine house were the now long gone towns of Mitchell and Redore that were built by the railroad for their employees. This engine house building was constructed using more than 2.2 million lbs. of brick, 1000 tons of concrete, and more than 100 tons of riveted structural steel. Mitchell Yards and the Mitchell Engine House helped our country win two world wars since the war effort required massive quantities of iron ore and this structure helped make it possible. At one point during the second world war, iron ore trains were arriving in Duluth every 15 minutes. When the steam era was over so to was the need for this structure and it's structural demise began. The Preservation Alliance of Minnesota placed the Mitchell Engine House on the list of the 10 most endangered historic places in Minnesota back in 2011.
