Mesabi Range
From Free net encyclopedia
The Mesabi Iron Range is a vast deposit of iron ore in the Iron Range region of Minnesota. It is the chief deposit of iron ore in the United States. The deposit is located largely in Itasca and St. Louis counties. It was extensively worked in the earlier part of the 20th century but extraction operations have been in decline since the mid-1970s.
The iron ore is mined 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.
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.
The area is notable for being the site of the first class action sexual harassment case, Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co.; this action was the inspiration for the movie, North Country.
External links
- Hill Annex Mine State Park: Minnesota DNR
- Cleveland Cliffs now owns Mesabi Trust, which is administered by Deutsche Bank Trust Co., 60 Wall Street 27th Floor, New York, NY 10005