Ruggles Mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruggles Mine is an open-pit mine that is no longer in operation and has been turned into a tourist attraction. The mine is located 30 miles northwest of Concord, in Grafton, New Hampshire. It is just off Route 4 at the Village Green. There is an admission charge of $20 per adult (2007) plus a separate charge to rent a hammer. The spacious pit includes tunnels and underground chambers, some of which are filled with water, for exploring. Visitors are allowed to keep any of the various minerals that are to be found on the mine floor or that can be hammered loose from the walls of the pit.
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[edit] Geology
The mineral deposits found in New Hampshire, known as the Littleton Formation, are from the Devonian period and dated by geologists to be roughly 350 million to 400 million years old.[1] Over 150 minerals have been discovered at the mine; mica being the most prevalent, but also including feldspar, beryl, amethyst, rose/smoky quartz, and garnet. Deposits of the rare and much-prized uranium minerals, such as uranophane, torbernite, and autunite, are advertised and have been found.
[edit] History
A local farmer by the name of Sam Ruggles discovered mica in Grafton and in 1803 started the first commercial mica mine in the United States at the site that bears his name. Mica at the time was used to make, among other things, lamp chimneys and stove windows. During the company’s nascent period, Ruggles and his family did the mining themselves and hauled the mica down the mountain at night in order to keep it a secret from other U.S. mining companies.
The operation grew over the years. By 1869, more than 26,000 pounds a year of mica was being extracted from the mine. The value of the mica mined at Ruggles was estimated to be about $12 million by the 1960s, by which time there were new applications for the mineral in cosmetics, cement block, asphalt roofing, and electrical insulators in appliances such as GE brand toasters.[2] Beginning in 1912, mining began for feldspar, which was used as a nonabrasive scour in the production of china glazes. And later on beryl was also mined.
In 1960, the mine was put up for sale. It was purchased that winter by the Wahlstrom family, who bought it for its well-deserved reputation for top-quality mica. Soon thereafter, however, cheaper sources of mica from foreign suppliers became available and domestic demand correspondingly dropped. The Wahlstrom family considered closing the mine, as well as other options. One such option was to turn it into a tourist attraction. And in 1963 that’s what happened—Ruggles Mine opened to the public.
[edit] Current Operation
The mine is currently open to the public from mid-May to mid-October. Admission for the day is $20 for adults and $10 for children 4-11 (Children under 4 are free with a paid adult).[3]
To reach the mine, the drive up Isinglass Mountain is steep and over meandering back roads. At the top of the mountain, however, the visitor is greeted to a panoramic view stretching for miles. After paying admission and gaining entrance through a gift shop, the visitor walks down a steep descent into the mine. The rule inside is that you get to keep what you find.
Many people come in quest for pieces of beryl, a mineral of assorted colors. However, beryl is just one of the 150 minerals that have been discovered at the mine. The pursuit of garnet is also popular, as is the search for fine examples of quartz and feldspar. One might also find amethyst, calcite and black tourmaline. Mica, however, still dominates the mine.[4]
The attraction, although it can be difficult to locate, offers splendid scenery (including another panoramic mountain view of Mount Kearsarge at the end of the trail) and the opportunity to indulge in something out-of-the-ordinary for most. The clanking of hammers echoing off the walls and low, narrow cave passages are two things a visitor will likely remember . . . as well as a bump on the head if he or she forgets just how low those passages are.
