New Jersey Mine Tour

2005 Mining History Association Field Trip

Franklin/Sterling Hill, NJ Mining District
Sterling Hill Fluorescent Minerals and
Thomas Edison's Iron Mining Project
June 20, 2005
Tour Hosts: Richard and Robert Houck

PHOTO GALLERY 7

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The typical ore from Sterling Hill under ultra-violet light in the Thomas S. Warren Museum of Fluorescence: fluorescent Willemite (green), fluorescent Calcite (red), and Franklinite (black, not fluorescent).

More ore from Sterling Hill under ultra-violet light in the Thomas S. Warren Museum of Fluorescence: fluorescent Willemite (green), fluorescent Calcite (red), and Franklinite (black, not fluorescent).

An array of fluorescent minerals from around the world in the Thomas S. Warren Museum of Fluorescence.

ALERT! In 2011 the specimens from the gold vault were stolen from the Sterling Hill Mining Museum. A $25,000 reward is offered for their return. Contact the Museum for more information.

Edison’s Iron Mines and Magnetic Separation Plant, ca. 1891. Located a short distance east of Ogdensburg, NJ is the location of Thomas Edison’s immense experimental iron ore mining and processing facilities. He used magnetic separation to separate waste rock from the magnetite ore. The final product was briquettes of iron ore. The venture failed but was a forerunner of today’s taconite iron mining and pelletizing industry. Time did not permit an MHA visit to this site.

(Above) Edison’s Horseshoe Iron Mine (1999 photo).

(Left) A memorial to Thomas Alva Edison is located near the mines and plant (2005 photo).

Lush summertime vegetation nearly obscures a massive foundation pier at the Edison’s plant site (2005 photo).

Vegetation-free in wintertime, the Edison site reveals remains of the extensive facility. Power House Jackshaft Pillars (1999 photo).