Hello all, and welcome to my debut post as a geology/rockhound blogger! As a bit of a preamble my goal with this blog is to educate - both on my rockhounding ventures, as well as on various topics with the hobby and mineralogy - as well as hopefully entertain a little along the way!
For my first entry, I've decided to start out in recounting a trip I took a few years back that is an oldie but a goodie; the southern Ilinois fluorite district. Hopefully the rockhound community at-large is quite familiar with this area, but for those that are not here is a very brief history of mining activity in this district (without looking up any additional sources). The discovery of this fluorite district came about as a result of exploration/prospecting for lead deposits in the mid-19th Century, near the town of Rosiclare. At first the fluorite did not receive considerable attention since it was regarded as a gangue (waste) mineral. It wasn't until around 1888 that fluorite was found to purify molten iron in the steel making process. Soon after, the Rosiclare Lead & Fluorspar Mining Company established itself as the first major fluorite producer in the country. Mining in this region commenced for over a century, producing approximately 3/4 of the country's fluorite. Fluorite from this area was especially well-known for its relative purity. Mineralogically speaking, fluorite has an affinity to incorporate trace amounts of other heavier metals that can make processing more difficult and even hazardous (such as yttrium and cerium, just to name a couple). The last mine to close in this area was the Annabel Lee Mine in 1995. The reason for the closure was that it became cheaper to import Chinese fluorite than process it here. As such, there is still plenty of fluorite left underground here but who knows if any new spectacular specimens will be produced in the future.
Now onto the venture!
It was May 2012 just after the college academic year concluded. At the time, I completed my first semester of study at Indiana University. I was in St. Louis, MO with my now-ex, Rebecca and in order to celebrate the end of another school year, we decided to take a short weekend drive down to Elizabethtown, IL (one of the towns in the Cave-In-Rock mining district). After a three hour drive we arrived at the River Rose Inn B&B, nearly on the scenic Ohio River, and settled in for the night.
The next day was rockhounding time! Our first stop, after a feast of a breakfast our hosts made, we headed east on route 146 towards Cave-In-Rock then headed north on route 1 towards our first destination, the remains of the Minerva Mine. This site is mostly flat, relatively expansive, plowed land with easy parking, and is easily accessible by any vehicle (just pull right off the main road). At first, Rebecca and I started our search near any piles or mounds that were mostly at the peripheries of the field, heading into the woods. Most of our initial finds were very small mm-scale subhedral purple fluorite crystals on limestone matrix.
For my first entry, I've decided to start out in recounting a trip I took a few years back that is an oldie but a goodie; the southern Ilinois fluorite district. Hopefully the rockhound community at-large is quite familiar with this area, but for those that are not here is a very brief history of mining activity in this district (without looking up any additional sources). The discovery of this fluorite district came about as a result of exploration/prospecting for lead deposits in the mid-19th Century, near the town of Rosiclare. At first the fluorite did not receive considerable attention since it was regarded as a gangue (waste) mineral. It wasn't until around 1888 that fluorite was found to purify molten iron in the steel making process. Soon after, the Rosiclare Lead & Fluorspar Mining Company established itself as the first major fluorite producer in the country. Mining in this region commenced for over a century, producing approximately 3/4 of the country's fluorite. Fluorite from this area was especially well-known for its relative purity. Mineralogically speaking, fluorite has an affinity to incorporate trace amounts of other heavier metals that can make processing more difficult and even hazardous (such as yttrium and cerium, just to name a couple). The last mine to close in this area was the Annabel Lee Mine in 1995. The reason for the closure was that it became cheaper to import Chinese fluorite than process it here. As such, there is still plenty of fluorite left underground here but who knows if any new spectacular specimens will be produced in the future.
Now onto the venture!
It was May 2012 just after the college academic year concluded. At the time, I completed my first semester of study at Indiana University. I was in St. Louis, MO with my now-ex, Rebecca and in order to celebrate the end of another school year, we decided to take a short weekend drive down to Elizabethtown, IL (one of the towns in the Cave-In-Rock mining district). After a three hour drive we arrived at the River Rose Inn B&B, nearly on the scenic Ohio River, and settled in for the night.
The next day was rockhounding time! Our first stop, after a feast of a breakfast our hosts made, we headed east on route 146 towards Cave-In-Rock then headed north on route 1 towards our first destination, the remains of the Minerva Mine. This site is mostly flat, relatively expansive, plowed land with easy parking, and is easily accessible by any vehicle (just pull right off the main road). At first, Rebecca and I started our search near any piles or mounds that were mostly at the peripheries of the field, heading into the woods. Most of our initial finds were very small mm-scale subhedral purple fluorite crystals on limestone matrix.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/0/0/25005435/6919598.jpg)
After some rest and fueling up on water, we headed back onto Highway 1 and briefly headed southward. We drove across an open low area, near a river, and we saw some old mining infrastructure off in the distance to the west. After turning on the only available right turn in the area, we made our way over there. After approximately a couple of miles, we parked off of a more limited parking area off of the road, right near a gate that marked the beginning of a covered forest trail. After crossing the gate (it was safe), it was a very short hike (approximately 250 meters) into the clearing that housed the rusted mining infrastructure that still stood 17 years later (3rd picture)! The mine site consisted of much more significant tailings piles that made for some good climbing. We decided to split off and check out the piles first in hopes of having better luck than the Minerva Mine. It did not take long until our wish was granted! Along with finding small amounts of some blue fluorite (4th picture), we found some combo pieces in matrix of blues, purples, and yellows. Thinking we struck it relatively nicely, our luck increased even more! Out of the middle of a tailings pile, I pilled out what appeared to be a tabular like slab of silty-carbonate with scattered patches of minor fluorite. Being the hammer-happy geologist I am, I decided to have some "fun" with this random, seemingly worthless specimen. Little did I know that after a couple of whacks that I now had four slabs of stratiform yellow fluorite, with some purple areas as well as country rock inclusions and veins striking through it! The slabs were about four inches thick and was by far the best find of the trip (sorry but I do not have photos available at the time)! The slabs did not contain any euhedral crystals, but a solid mass of pure fluorite I will definitely take!
After we were satisfied with our finds, we decided to take it easy and explored the area of its infrastructure. The site is distinctly marked with an overhead shaft that led the old miners underground to start their days (5th picture). The area was also marked by three (if memory serves) smaller abandoned buildings that probably served as utility and shower/locker facilities. Rebecca and I discussed what mining life was probably like in the not-too-distant past as well as the thought that a miner could go into work one day, with everything normal, and then show up the next day only to be notified that you are out of work with everything being left as it was. Although it boils down to simple economics, one still cannot help but experience the eeriness that the old buildings exhumed.
After our brief trip down history street, we decided to call it a day and headed back to the B&B. It wasn't until we got back to the car that we discovered that our lower bodies were totally taken over by several dozen ticks (significant warning if you decide to visit)!! About a half hour and many ticks removed later we headed back to get ready for dinner. As one may guess, Elizabethtown is quite small with very limited selections in dining. A lot of the buildings seemed out of business or closed. After asking the B&B of any options, the kind owner told us about a seafood restaurant, called the E'Town River Restaurant (6th picture), which was literally floating on the Ohio River! The establishment was quite small, but the food and service was excellent! It is very much known for their catfish dishes.
![Picture](/uploads/2/5/0/0/25005435/3016732.jpg)
After dinner, we socialized with the B&B owners and some of their company on the porch. We even got to talk to one retired man, who happened to be a former fluorspar miner, about the life and times of the miners back during better times! The next morning it was time to check out and hit the road back to St. Louis, but not before I noticed and captured one last photo (left) that accurately depicts the life of an average geologist!
The Southern Illinois Fluorite district is indeed an American classic, one that cannot be fully enjoyed in just two days. I will for sure plan another visit back here in the future!
The Southern Illinois Fluorite district is indeed an American classic, one that cannot be fully enjoyed in just two days. I will for sure plan another visit back here in the future!
For those who have read, thank you very much for reading my first ever adventure blog! Please feel free to share your own experiences/ideas/comments. If you wish, you may contact me at [email protected].