Hill-Annex Mine State Park
Hill Annex Mine State Park | |
---|---|
Location of Hill Annex Mine State Park in Minnesota | |
Location | Itasca, Minnesota, United States |
Coordinates | 47°20′04″N 93°16′21″W / 47.33444°N 93.27250°WCoordinates: 47°20′04″N 93°16′21″W / 47.33444°N 93.27250°W |
Area | 625 acres (253 ha) |
Elevation | 1,434 ft (437 m)[1] |
Established | 1988 |
Governing body | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
Website | Hill Annex Mine State Park |
Hill Annex Mine | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. Historic district | |
Built | 1912 |
Architect | Jones & Laughlin Steel Co. |
Architectural style | Bungalow/Craftsman |
NRHP reference No. | 86002126[2] |
Added to NRHP | August 1, 1986 |
Hill-Annex Mine State Park is a state park of Minnesota, United States, interpreting the open-pit mining heritage of the Mesabi Range. The park is located north of the city of Calumet, in Itasca County, Minnesota. The park provides access to fossil material exposed by mining from the Cretaceous era Coleraine Formation.
In 1892, the land was leased for mineral exploration. It was leased again in 1900 and mining began in 1913. In the years it was in operation, the mine produced 63 million tons of iron ore. It grew to become the sixth largest producer in Minnesota.[3] Historic buildings include the office building (c. 1930), laboratory (c. 1930), maintenance shop (c. 1930), truck repair shop (c. 1919), wooden water tower (c. 1919), and community club (c. 1915).[4]
After the mine closed, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board acquired it for a dollar. They converted the community club building into a museum and visitors center and gave tours. The former mine was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 as a historic district, and the Minnesota Legislature made Hill Annex Mine a state park two years later.
Flora and fauna[]
Conservationists have added vegetation to rehabilitate areas damaged by open-pit mining. The landscape is home to grouse, deer, coyotes, timber wolves, and black bears. Raptors, including eagles, peregrine falcons, and hawks have returned to the park.
References[]
- ^ "Hill Annex Mine State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1993-07-01. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "Park Info". Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on 2013-07-04. Retrieved 2018-01-01.
- ^ Rolf Anderson. "Hill Annex Mine". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-01-01. with photos
External links[]
Media related to Hill-Annex Mine State Park at Wikimedia Commons
- 1988 establishments in Minnesota
- Industrial buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
- Mining museums in Minnesota
- Protected areas established in 1988
- Protected areas of Itasca County, Minnesota
- State parks of Minnesota
- Museums in Itasca County, Minnesota
- Mines in Minnesota
- National Register of Historic Places in Itasca County, Minnesota
- Surface mines in the United States
- Iron mines in the United States
- Minnesota Registered Historic Place stubs