Soudan in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
The Soudan Mine
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
1. The Soudan Mine Marker
Minnesotas iron mining industry was born here in 1884, and the opening of this mine was one of the great commercial events of the nineteenth century.
The first ore was shipped from the Breitung pit of the Soudan Mine on July 31, 1884, beginning the development of the rich iron ore deposits of the oldest of Minnesotas three ranges, the Vermilion.
The Soudan was at first mined from seven open pits, but it soon became an underground operation. The mine, which operated from 1884 until 1962, is the deepest, as well as the oldest, in Minnesota. Its shaft extends to a depth of 2,500 feet with drifts or tunnels running three-fourths of a mile to the east and west. At the peak of its production in 1892, the Soudan shipped more than 568,000 long tons of high-grade ore and employed 1,800 men.
The mine was presented to the state of Minnesota in 1965 by the Oliver Iron Mining Division of the United States Steel Corporation.
Erected 1966 by Minnesota Historical Society.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources • Parks & Recreational Areas.
this page online
Location. 47° 49.194′ N, 92° 14.532′ W. Marker is in Soudan, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County. It can be reached from McKinley Park Road half a mile north of Main Street. Marker is located near the main parking lot, and just north of the Shaft #8 Headframe, in Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1302 McKinley Park Road, Soudan MN 55782, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region and in the Iron Range. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
2. Soudan Mine National Historic Landmark Marker
(located near Shaft #8 Headframe)
(located near Shaft #8 Headframe)
has been designated a
Registered National
Historic Landmark
Under the provisions of the
Historic Sites Act of August 21, 1935
this site possesses exceptional value
in commemorating or illustrating
the history of the United States
U.S. Department of the Interior
National Park Service
1966
Regarding The Soudan Mine. National Register of Historic Places #66000905
Also see . . . Soudan Underground Mine State Park (Wikipedia). Excerpt:
The primary underground mining method used was known as cut and fill. This involved mining the ceiling and using Ely Greenstone and other waste rock to artificially raise the floor at the same rate as the ceiling was being mined out. As a result, the floor and ceiling were always 1020 feet apart, and waste rock never had to be hauled to the surface, since it was recycled. This technique was particularly suited to the Soudan Mine due to the strength of the hematite formations and the weakness of the encasing Greenstone.(Submitted on December 21, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
3. Soudan Mine • Engine House
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
4. Soudan Mine Sign
Operated by United States Steel Corporation until 1962.
Donated by United States Steel Corporation to the State of
Minnesota to be preserved and operated as a state park.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
5. Soudan Iron Mine • Shaft 8 Headframe
(view from near marker)
(view from near marker)
(Still in active use for lowering and raising underground tour groups)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
6. Soudan Iron Mine Level 27
689 feet below sea level
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2010
7. Soudan Mine • Ore Cars
Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2024. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,293 times since then and 99 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 20, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. submitted on December 21, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
