Mesabi Range

On the Mesabi Range, stretching 100 miles (160 km) from Grand Rapids to Babbitt, soft ore lay close to the surface, where it could be scooped from open pit mines.The natural iron ores and the magnetite taconites occur in this Precambrian Biwabik formation, which is a cherty layer 340–750 feet (100–230 m) thick.The natural ores are located in elongated channels or tabular deposits, while the magnetite taconites occur in stratigraphic zones.[7] The Embarrass Mountains are a small subrange of the Mesabi Range, spanning about 9 miles (14 km) through northern White Township and Hoyt Lakes in St. Louis County.[8] The highest point, at 1,940 feet (590 m), is roughly 1.9 miles (3.1 km) west of the unincorporated community of Hinsdale,[6] near the former Erie Mining Company's pits and taconite processing plant.However, when that supply dried up, focus shifted to lower-grade ore (taconite) which requires extensive processing at large mining-processing facilities before moving to port.At Duluth, trains of up to eighty 100-ton open cars are moved out on massive ore docks to be dumped into "lakers" with tonnages of up to 60,000 for shipment to steel mills in Indiana and Ohio.For instance, the Virginia Pilot is a project which focuses on redeveloping the grounds adjacent to the old mines into low- to moderate-income residential space.United States Steel owns and operates both KeeTac (47°23′57″N 93°04′33″W / 47.3992°N 93.0759°W / 47.3992; -93.0759) and Minntac (47°29′50″N 92°36′50″W / 47.49730°N 92.61401°W / 47.49730; -92.61401) with mining and processing facilities in Keewatin and Mountain Iron respectively.Hibbing Taconite is majority owned and managed by ArcelorMittal USA, with minority stakes held by Cleveland-Cliffs and United States Steel.Oliver broke with the agreement, and in response, John D. procured a monopoly of ore ship transportation on the Great Lakes.The first began on July 20, 1907 after the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) asked Oliver Iron Mining Company for, among other demands, an eight-hour work day and a pay raise.
Lake Superior Iron Ranges
The Mesabi Range (upper center) is west of Lake Superior , north of Duluth, Minnesota , and far north of Minneapolis - St. Paul . Nearby towns include Grand Rapids , Hibbing and Virginia .
Hull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron Mine , Mesabi Range, 2010
Miners at work on the Mesabi Range 1903.
Lake SuperiorDuluth, MinnesotaMinneapolisSt. PaulGrand RapidsHibbingVirginiaHull–Rust–Mahoning Open Pit Iron MineMinnesotairon oreIron RangeItascaSaint LouistaconiteOjibweCuyunaVermilionGunflintPrecambriansilicaMarine algaeoxygen catastropheprecipitatebanded iron formationsAnimikie GroupmonoclinefaultsGabbrometamorphicformationtaconiteschertychannelsstratigraphicbeneficiatedhematitegoethitesilicateMinnesotaiteBabbittWhite TownshipHoyt LakesMountain Iron, MinnesotaMerritt brothersmagnetiteopen pitsCanadian National RailwayTwo HarborsDuluthBNSF RailwaySuperior, WisconsinlakerstonnagesIndianaHill-Annex Minestate parkCleveland-Cliffs Inc.Silver BayEvelethForbesArcelor MittalBiwabikGilbertUnited States SteelKeewatinMountain IronChisholmEssar SteelNashwaukSteel DynamicsKobe SteelJohn D. RockefellerFrank RockefellerGreat LakesHenry W. OliverAndrew CarnegieJ. P. MorganWestern Federation of MinersOliver Iron Mining CompanyIndustrial Workers of the WorldCliffs Shaft Mine MuseumCuyuna RangeGogebic RangeGunflint RangeHill-Annex Mine State ParkIron Mountain Central Historic DistrictMarquette Iron RangeRouchleau MineSoudan Underground Mine State ParkVermilion Range (Minnesota)Wayback MachineGruner, JohnMacalester CollegeLeith, Charles KennethU.S. Geological SurveyUnited States Government Printing OfficeThe World's Work: A History of Our Time