Mining Copper

Mining Copper. . , During the colonial period, it was illegal to smelt ore in the colonies, so colonial mine operators like those at New-Gate were forced to ship the ore to England. After the prison closed in 1827, the Phoenix Mining Company and the Connecticut Copper Company attempted to revive mine production. They believed that fewer legal restrictions and new technology would help them be more profitable than their colonial counterparts. Both companies reported that the quality of ore was good, but processing for market was difficult. In the end, the endeavors were financially unsuccessful and the mines were once again abandoned. , "Nature has not been so lavish with their treasures, but has left room for the exercise of the mind of man, and in no department of mining operations is ingenuity more called for than in the cleaning of the ore from the valueless gangue of rock with which it is generally associated." , A Report on the Mines of the Connecticut Copper Company, Francfort, 1857 , The Phoenix Mining Company constructed these smelters in the 1830s after the prison closed. In its raw state, copper is embedded with other minerals in the rock and is called ore. Smelting is the heating process used to remove unwanted minerals from the ore and extract valuable pure copper. , "...it is my opinion...that it [New-Gate] will prove to be productive and valuable mining ground." , Report of the Phoenix Copper Mine, 1830 , ( photo captions ) , , A correct map of the underground excavation of the prison , , Wooden ore cart rests in situ. Discovered when flooded tunnels were dewatered in 1986 during the University of Connecticut geological investigations. , , Mine photograph, 2018. , , A map of the underground tunnels from the Phoenix Mining Company which operated the mine from 1831-1836.