Hull Rust Mahoning Mine

Hull Rust

Useful Information

Location:	Hibbing. 3rd Avenue East, north East 13th Street and north of the Greyhound Bus Museum.
Open:	15-MAY to SEP Mon-Sat 9-17, Sun 13-17. [2006]
Fee:	free [2006]
Classification:	Iron Mine
Light:
Dimension:
Guided tours:	V=20,000/a [2005]
Bibliography:
Address:	Tourist Senior Center
Last update:	$Date: 2008/07/01 20:31:50 $

History


1895		start of mining.
1901		taken over by the Oliver Mining So..
1965		owned by the Hibbing Taconite Company.
13-NOV-1966		listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Geology

The mine produced during its existence 690 million tons of iron ore and 519 million tons of waste material. Together more than 1.2 billion tons of earth were removed. During the World Wars it supplied 25% of all the iron ore mined in the United States.

Description

Hull Rust Mahoning Mine is the world's biggest open pit iron ore mine. On an area of almost 10ha, more than 30 individual mines have been opened between 1895 and 1957. The removing of more than 1.2 billion tons of earth resulted in a man-made Grand Canyon, which is 4.8km long, 3.2km wide and 180m deep. Most of the mines are no longer in operation, but Hibbing Taconite Company continues to extract ore from the mine.

The pit is located where the original town of Hibbing once stood. Frank Hibbing, a pioneer, obtained the first lease to mine ore in the area in December 1891. He started with underground mining, but soon various open pit mines were opened. The Hull Rust Mine pit was first owned by Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines, then the Oliver Mining So. took over, and later the parent company, U.S. Steel Corp. ran the mine until 1965.

In the early 1920's the moving of an entire city gained national attention and cost 19 Million Dollars. 185 houses and 20 businesses places were moved.

The Tourist Senior Center at Hibbing operates the Hull Rust Mine View, featuring a spectacular view of the open cast mine. In the distance is the taconite production of Hibbing visible. Around the outlook is an mining equipment on display, for example a 170-ton mining truck and an engine from a 240-ton mining truck.