This article about our fluorspar history was written in 1909.
The area designated as the Mexico-Claylick District embraces three general fault zones extending between Mexico, Claylick Creek and View. It was practically confined to southern Crittenden County in the area between Claylick and Livingston Creeks.
Pictured above is the flourspar storage and loading yard, which was located on the Illinois Central Railroad at Mexico. Here, loads of spar from the different mines were brought and unloaded, waiting shipment by rail to the Marion Depot to be processed and shipped to other states
The points of shipping were Mexico, located seven and a half miles south of Marion, and Crayne, four and a half miles south of Marion on the Illinois Central Railroad.
The chief development was the fault system extending from Mexico to Frances, known as the "Tabb" faults.
The Pygmy Mine included two shafts that ran along a course of a mile south of Mexico and on both sides of the Illinois Central Railroad tracks.
The Haffaw mine, was situated one-half mile west of the Pygmy mine. The course between the Haffaw main shaft and the Pygmy making the general trend of the Tabb fault zone in this vicinity. The Haffaw was one of the best developed mines of the entire field.
Calcite was prominent in parts of the vein, frequently spotted through the main vein filling of fluorspar. The vein carried both lead and zinc values.
Keystone Fluorspar Co., had a main shaft one-half mile west by south of the Haffaw mine, still on the Tabb fault system.
The Tabb Mine was one of the earliest mines of the field, being first opened in the late 1800's and production was continuous into the 1900s. Numerous shafts and pits were in evidence.
Asbridge Mine was situated on the Tabb system, west of the Tabor mine, and was about two and a half miles from Mexico.
The Pogue Mine was located close to the west of the Asbridge mine and was also on the Tabb system.
No comments:
Post a Comment