iron and taconite mining in mn supplying the nation for over 100 years
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Iron and Taconite Mining in MN
Supplying the Nation For Over 100 Years
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Iron Ore = Steel• Iron ore is main
ingredient in production of steel
• 98% of iron ore is used to manufacture steel
• MN produces about 80% of the nation’s iron ore
• Minnesota has led the nation in its production since the 1880s
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Vermillion Iron Range
• Iron ore discovered by accident near Lake Vermillion in the 1860s
• Prospectors originally attracted to the area by a “gold rush” but little gold was found
• First shipment of iron ore occurred in 1884
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Tower Sudan Mine
• At first ore was near the surface and easily mined• Over time, deposits were found deeper and required
expensive underground mines
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Life as an Iron Miner• Mining was hard work• Early miners used
pickaxes and shovels• Horses and mules
hauled ore out of the mine
• Work was dangerous• Living conditions
often unhealthy• Bankruptcies were
common First mining camp near Mountain Iron in 1893
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Mountain Iron Mine• Iron ore was discovered at
Mountain Iron on Mesabi Range a few years later
• First shipment occurred in 1892
• Most early mining done in underground mines but quickly switched to open pit because it was cheaper
• Steam shovels were able to do the work of many men
Mountain Iron Mine Now Closed – Ore Exhausted
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Hull Rust Mine• World’s largest open pit
mine• Known as “Grand Canyon
of the North”• Over 3 miles long, a mile
wide and 535 feet deep • Material removed is equal
to digging a small tunnel from MN through the core of the earth and out the other side
• At its peak in 1940 this mine produced approximately 25% of US iron ore
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Hibbing: The Town That Moved• Established in 1893 by German
miner Frank Hibbing who had discovered iron ore nearby
• In the 1920's the town moved two miles south to its present location after iron ore was discovered under the city's old location
• Buildings were moved using steel wheels and logs
• Move started in 1919 and took many years to complete
• More than 180 houses and 20 businesses were relocated to their current sites
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Hill Annex Mine
• Iron mining began in 1913 and continued until 1978
• Was 6th largest mine in MN
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MN’s Iron-Bearing Formations
Mesabi RangeVermillio
n Range
Cuyuna Range
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Mesabi Range
• 97% of MN’s iron ore has come from the Mesabi Range
• Only small amounts have come from the Vermillion and Cuyuna Ranges
• Only active mines on the Mesabi
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US Iron Production 1900-2000
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Iron Ore Depletion
• By the 1970s most of MN’s high-grade iron ore was exhausted
• Production began to concentrate on a low-grade ore known as “taconite”
• Taconite consists of approximately 25-30% iron with the rest waste material
• Without processing, taconite cannot be used to produce steel
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Taconite• Taconite is extremely
hard rock• Process begins with
blasting• Raw material then
transported to processing plant
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Taconite Processing
• Taconite rock is first crushed
• Iron ore is separated by strong electronic magnets
• Formed into pellets
• Baked at high temperatures
Taconite Crusher
Taconite Separator
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Taconite Pellets
• Finished taconite pellets transported to Duluth for shipment east
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MN Taconite Plants
Butler Taconite
Hibbing Taconite
MinnTac
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Major Arrowhead Urban Centers
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Steel Production Centers