Mesabi Range
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The Mesabi Range, also known as the Mesabi Iron Range, is a vast deposit of iron ore in northern Minnesota, and the chief deposit of iron ore in the United States. It was extensively worked in the earlier part of the 20th century. Extraction operations have been in decline since the mid-1970s.
The iron ore was mined from from both underground mines and open pits. The high water table in this region means that once pumping stops, the abandoned mines are quickly filled in with water.
Ore was primarily shipped by railroad to the port cities along Lake Superior, such as Two Harbors and Duluth, Minnesota.
In Minnesota, the Iron Range extends from Two Harbors and Duluth on the east to Cohasset on the west. A rich band of iron ore is deposited below a thin layer of soil, and iron mining was active in the area from about 1900 until the mid-1970s. Declining iron prices led to reductions in the amount of mining, though a handful of active mines remain. All active mines are pit mining operations, extracting a lower grade of iron ore called taconite. Taconite can be economically processed into higher grade pellets which can be used by steel mills. Timber and pulpwood logging, combined with tourism, are the main sources of economic activity in the area.
The Hill Annex Mine is now a state park and offers tours to visitors who wish to learn about mine operations. Tours are guided by former mine workers.
Bob Dylan was raised in Hibbing, a town on the Iron Range. Roger Maris was born in Hibbing, but grew up in Fargo, North Dakota.
External links
- Hill Annex Mine State Park: Minnesota DNR (http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/hill_annex_mine/index.html)
- Cleveland Cliffs (http://www.cleveland-cliffs.com/) now owns Mesabi Trust, which is administered by Deutsche Bank Trust Co., 60 Wall Street 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005
