Site of the Discovery of Phosphate in Florida
N 29° 03.426 W 082° 28.447
17R E 356491 N 3215208
This historical marker is located on County Road 40 in Dunnellon, Florida, 1.2 miles west of U.S. Highway 41.
Waymark Code: WM3QAQ
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 05/04/2008
Views: 41
The marker reads as follows: "One block to the south is the site of the discovery of hard rock phosphate in Florida by Albertus Vogt in 1889. It made Dunnellon a boom town and first center of the industry. The Tiger Rag, Early Bird and Eagle mines were among the most valuable. The Marion County Phosphate Co. was the first to operate extensively. Phosphates are still mined in the area, but since 1900 the center of production has shifted elsewhere."
From
Wikipedia: "Dunnellon was founded in 1887. In 1889, phosphate was discovered in the area, leading to an expansion of the area until the early 1910s. The original mining took place in and around the Rainbow River (formerly called 'Blue Run'), using the river's natural flow to transport phosphates. What is now the 'Blue Cove' subdivision, was one of the original mining pits."