Iron Ore Pit

Iron Ore Pit. "A Day at the Ore Pit". If you had been standing here in 1850, you could have witnessed this scene. Mining of iron ore took place at the Oregon ore banks from 1820 to 1887. , "The Oregon Ore Pits" , The depression in front of you was one of three primary pits providing ore to the furnace. The largest pit, now filled with water (48 ft.), is known as Oregon Lake and is a public swimming facility in summer. , See the adjacent map for previous and current Oregon facilities. , "Teamsters" , Teamsters were key players in the mine operation. They drove the mule teams needed to pull the ore laden tip carts from the ore pit to the ore washing mill. , "Emancipated Slaves" , Historical records indicate that the Price family, prominent landowners in this area, emancipated a number of former slaves, providing them with mules, wagons and land. Records indicate that black teamsters using their own mules and wagons were under contract to the Oregon Mining Company. , "Iron Ore" , The iron ore sought here at Oregon was found in the ground in the form of rusty-colored, rounded chucks of rock known as goethite (ger-thite). , On the ground next to this display is a goethite nodule from the Oregon ore pits. , "Hard Dirty Work" , Working with picks, shovels and pry bars, men dug through the soil to find the iron ore nodules. Sledge hammers were used to break up large nodules.