Kelly Lake near Hibbing in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine
Photographed By Keith L, September 28, 2007
1. Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine Marker
Inscription.
Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine. . It has been called the “Grand Canyon of the North”, a fitting title for the world’s largest open pit iron mine. The Hull-Rust-Mahoning pit actually began as separate mines, named for their owners, first dug in 1895, that gradually merged into one. Today this enormous pit measures 1.5 by 3.5 miles with a depth of 600 feet. Because of its size and the important developments that took place here, the Hull-Rust-Mahoning mine played a key role in making Minnesota the leading iron-ore producer in the country. , Setting in the midst of the Mesabi Range, the largest of Minnesota’s three iron ore ranges, this mine owed its dominance to its particular iron formations. Here, vast stretches of high-grade, soft ore lay in shallow deposits that could be scooped up with giant steam shovels, machinery perfected at this site. Using the open pit method, mining companies removed huge quantities of iron ore quickly and economically, dumping it into rail cars that were moved out of the mine on tracks circling the slopes of the pit. , Large mining operations required extensive financial resources. Small local developers were soon driven out, and the wealthy ones with names like Rockefeller and Carnegie took over. In 1901 J. P. Morgan consolidated their mining and manufacturing operations as United States Steel, creating what was then the biggest corporation in the world. , The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine developed rapidly in the early 1900s, when demand was high for iron and steel to build railroads, bridges, and skyscrapers. In its peak production years during World War I and II, this pit supplied as much as one-fourth of all the iron ore mined in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
It has been called the “Grand Canyon of the North”—a fitting title for the world’s largest open pit iron mine. The Hull-Rust-Mahoning pit actually began as separate mines, named for their owners, first dug in 1895, that gradually merged into one. Today this enormous pit measures 1.5 by 3.5 miles with a depth of 600 feet. Because of its size and the important developments that took place here, the Hull-Rust-Mahoning mine played a key role in making Minnesota the leading iron-ore producer in the country.
Setting in the midst of the Mesabi Range, the largest of Minnesota’s three iron ore ranges, this mine owed its dominance to its particular iron formations. Here, vast stretches of high-grade, soft ore lay in shallow deposits that could be scooped up with giant steam shovels, machinery perfected at this site. Using the open pit method, mining companies removed huge quantities of iron ore quickly and economically, dumping it into rail cars that were moved out of the mine on tracks circling the slopes of the pit.
Large mining operations required extensive financial resources. Small local developers were soon driven out, and the wealthy ones with names like Rockefeller and Carnegie took over. In 1901 J. P. Morgan consolidated their mining and manufacturing operations as United States Steel, creating
Click or scan to see this page online
what was then the biggest corporation in the world.
The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine developed rapidly in the early 1900s, when demand was high for iron and steel to build railroads, bridges, and skyscrapers. In its peak production years during World War I and II, this pit supplied as much as one-fourth of all the iron ore mined in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.
Location. 47° 26.861′ N, 92° 56.806′ W. Marker is near Hibbing, Minnesota, in Saint Louis County. It is in Kelly Lake. Marker can be reached from Greyhound Boulevard/3rd Avenue East, on the left when traveling north. Marker is beyond the mine visitor center/observation building; accessible only when open. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Hibbing MN 55746, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Welcome To Historic North Hibbing Minnesota
Mine-View Observation Building
May 15 - Sept. 30 / Hours: 9 AM - 5 PM
"The" HULL RUST - World's Largest Iron Ore/Taconite
Open Pit Mine
Photographed By Keith L, September 28, 2007
6. Nearby Plaque
Hull-Rust-Mahoning
Open Pit Iron Mine
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
Photographed By Joseph Baker, February 2, 2008
7. Winter at the mine view
Photographed By Joseph Baker, February 2, 2008
8. Drilling Blast Holes
Bucyrus 59R, Drilling Blast Holes 1st week of 02/08 at Hibbing taconite.
Photographed By Joseph Baker, February 2, 2008
9. 240 Ton Haul Truck Making Its Way To The Crusher Or The Dump
Unknown if its load is for the crusher or the "dump" pile?
These trucks are awesome in size, I have had the honor to ride in many of these trucks.......JMB SKF/USA
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 8, 2007, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 4,868 times since then and 97 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week October 21, 2007. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on October 8, 2007, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. 7, 8, 9. submitted on February 2, 2008, by Joseph Baker of Hibbing, Minnesota. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.