1. Minnesota History Unit 6
Timber, Trains & The Range
The Range

2. GOLD!!!! discovered near Lake Vermilion
little gold, lots of hematite (iron)

3. George Stuntz This prospector saw the value in iron ore
convinced millionaire Jay Cooke to invest (until bankruptcy)
Charlemagne Tower joined later
shipped first iron ore from Vermilion to Two Harbors in 1884

5. The Merritts Lewis Merritt discovered iron while prospecting for gold
his 7 sons later developed Mesabi Range
financial help from J.D. Rockefeller

7. Mesabi Range world’s largest source of high grade iron ore
open-pit mining
100 mines operating at peak
Babbitt, Biwabik, Hoyt Lakes, Aurora, Mt. Iron, Chisholm, Eveleth, Virginia, Hibbing, Grand Rapids

10. Vermilion Range first open to mining - 1884
mostly underground tunneling
Ely, Winton, Tower, Soudan

13. Cuyuna Range last range opened - 1911
named for Cuylar Adams & his dog - Una
Manganese also
Deerwood, Crosby, Ironton

16. Taconite low grade ore crushed & processed into pellets
today’s ore is in this form