Hawkins Mine EarthCache
maryufaust: Archiving this one as things have changed at the pit.
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
Welcome to the Hawkins Mine Overlook. This was always a favorite stop of mine when I was a youngster and I appreciated it more when I later worked in the iron mines east of here in the early 1990’s. Take in the history and enjoy the beautiful views this mine site has to offer.
MINES AND ORE WASHING PLANTS
Pine forests first attracted men to the western Mesabi Range. The region had no streams or rivers down which to float logs, so in 1890 the Wright-Davis Lumber Company laid tracks from the present site of Jacobson, where the Swan River flows into the Mississippi, to the heart of their timber land, near what is now Hibbing. James J. Hill of the Great Northern bought out their interests in 1899 and incorporated the road into his system.
In 1900, the Itasca Mining Company explored property that later was developed into the Hawkins Mine (west end Central Ave.). When iron ore was discovered, the deposit was leased to the Deering Harvester Company, and the mine was opened in 1902.
The Nashwauk Townsite Company platted the village on what was once the site of a lumber camp. Its name, from Nashwaak, a river and village near Fredericton, New Brunswick, is of Algonquian origin, probably meaning "land between," as does Nashau, the name of a city and river in New Hampshire.
In 1908-09, the Great Northern was extended from Nashwauk to connect with its main line at Grand Rapids, and tiny Nashwauk's growth really began. Mining operations expanded. In 1901, stripping had begun on an extensive scale at the Hawkins Mine; by the end of 1936, 12,164,000 tons of ore had been shipped from this open pit, the village's chief source of income. In connection with the mine was a washing and jigging plant (Washing Plant Rd., two miles south), in which the ore was separated on sieves or screens after impurities were carried off by a water process. The La Rue Mine (La Rue Mine Rd., 1.5 miles east), opened at approximately the same time as the Hawkins, was operated by both open-pit and underground methods, as was the Headley (abandoned), formerly known as the Crosby, opened in 1903.
From the WPA Guide to the Minnesota Arrowhead Company
©1941 by the Minnesota Arrowhead Association
To get credit for this earthcache you need to do the following and answer two questions:
Post a picture of yourself with GPS in hand (optional) and send me answers to the following questions:
How many tons of iron ore were mined from this site through 1962?
What is the approximate % of iron in taconite? You’ll need to research to find the answer to this question as it is not posted at the cache site.
Please do not post your answers to the questions on your log. Send me a separate E-mail with the answers.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)
Treasures
You'll collect a digital Treasure from one of these collections when you find and log this geocache:
Loading Treasures