Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tures in operation. In the late 1800s and before, small operations mined
iron, such as those at Katahdin Iron Works along the Pleasant River near
Brownville, and sporadic wildcat gold and silver mines were put down.
Copper and lead for a while were mined near Blue Hill. In recent years a
nickel mine was proposed for the Union area, although it never opened.
Prospecting for copper, tin and other minerals has been done in
Aroostook County.
Tourmaline
Perhaps the most famous mineral from Maine is tourmaline,
which, along with garnets and other gem-quality crystals, can be
found in areas in the mountains of Western Maine. Tourmaline,
which is crafted into exquisite jewelry, comes in several colors,
including black, green and pink. Dozens of minerals can be found
in the hills of Oxford County near Newry and Paris.
Granite & Stone
Maine more than made up for its lack of minerals by producing prodi-
gious amounts of building stone. Great slabs of slate were mined for
roofs, chalk boards, countertops, sinks and walls in Monson. A limited op-
eration continues today.
Granite was king along the Maine Coast during the 1800s, supporting
quarries that bustled with immigrants on Vinal Haven, North Haven, on
Crotch Island off Stonington, and in Hall Quarry on Mount Desert Is-
land. Granite quarries were busy too in the Sullivan and Franklin areas.
DID YOU KNOW?
Some of the largest buildings in
the biggest cities on the East Coast were made of
Maine stone. And many an American street was paved
with granite cobblestones, rounded rocks collected
from the beaches on the coast of Maine. Cobblestones
were also used as ballast in ships carrying everything
from lumber to livestock.
Most stone was shipped out by schooner (the stone was skidded or
winched directly from the rock face to the nearby edge of the sea).
Fossils
Fossils, mostly of plants and small marine animals, while not
common, can be found primarily in the slate and shale prevalent
in the northern part of the state.
