Iron Ore Nugget - Soudan, MN
Posted by: 
lenron
N 47° 48.817 W 092° 14.340
15T E 556971 N 5295865
Nice iron ore nugget with double sides of information in Soudan, MN.
Waymark Code: WM9A6B
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 07/20/2010
Views: 12
This iron ore nugget is located on a nice pullover on the outskirts of Soudan, MN. Soudan is home to the Soudan Underground Mine. Now a state park that honors the mining tradition of the area, it is possible to take a mine tour that goes into the mines to the 27th level that was last mined in 1962. Soudan Underground Mine was the first underground mine in Minnesota.
Iron ore was and is of great economic importance to Minnesota. It helped supply the ore that built America and also suffered with the economics of the steel downturn.
This nugget pays tribute to two aspects of the iron ore mining in the area. Each side has a bronze plaque.
Side One reads:
"First Iron Mine
From the Brietung Pit of the Soudan Mine just north of this town. The first commercial shipment of Minnesota Iron Ore was made by the Minnesota Iron Company July 31, 1884 over the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad.
This line had just been built by Charlemagne Tower and associates to open up the Vermillion Range.:
The other side reads:
"July 30, 1884 - July 31, 1934
Erected by the Vermillion Range Old Settler's Association on the Fiftieth Anniversary of the first shipment of iron ore from Soudan Mine and State of Minnesota to commemorate that industrial event, and in remembrance of those sturdy pioneers who made it possible."
If you check the photos out you can see the framework from the mine in the background as the mine seems to dominant the area. This iron ore display is a great place to stop and get an overview of the area, the historical and economic importance and the beauty of the area.
Type of Display: Historical
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