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The discovery of Mountain Iron Mine in Mountain Iron, Minnesota in 1890 represents the beginning of the exploitation of the Mesabi Range iron ore in the Iron Range of northeast Minnesota. The Mesabi Range and nearby Vermilion Range led Minnesota to become the nation's largest producer of iron ore and the United States to lead the world in steel production. This capacity is considered to have been a major factor in America's ability to contribute to World War II. It also played a major role in the financial success of Andrew Carnegie and U.S. Steel.[2] Carnegie returned some of his fortune to the communities by funding 2500 public Carnegie Libraries across the country, including 64 in rural Minnesota.
The extraction of ore in the region also contributed to the tiny port city of Duluth thriving and becoming the leading port in the United States (by tonnage) in the early 20th century.
[edit] References
Theodore Jones (1997). Carnegie Libraries Across America: A Public Legacy. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 0-471-14422-3
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