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 Post subject: Croton Magnetic Iron-ore Mines
PostPosted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 8:22 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
Posts: 11
Location: Carmel, NY
Hi Folks,
I've been exploring iron mine workings and would like your opinion on what I have found. This is related to the Theall Mine which is part of the Croton Magnetic Iron Mines in the Town of SouthEast, Brewster, NY. The mine still exists as a tunnel (I have not gone in) and air shaft. I discovered the works above the mine. Structures that appear to be furnaces and the foundation to other processing structures (I think). There is one rusted metal furnace left. This is all posted with images on my BLOG http://miketd.vox.com - PLEASE take a look, any information on the structures is appreciated. I fear the area will be developed and lost to history forever.

Thanks
Mike


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 7:55 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:17 am
Posts: 754
Location: Monroe, CT
The remains I have found at the the mine include the following;
-ore storage towers (big silos)
-steam engine boiler
-foundation of the magnetic concentrating mill
-ore crusher
-remains of a rail tramway and steel cable that drew ore carts from the mine up the hill
-dynamite sheds
all this stuff was built in the 1880s except for the sheds which were built by bethlehem steel when they were going to reopen the mine during world war 2, the air shaft goes down 100'. -Mike


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:03 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
I made a small mistake with the URL of the BLOG: miketd.vox.com


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 11:25 am 
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Joined: Mon Jun 20, 2005 11:28 pm
Posts: 1758
Location: Winnemucca, NV
Hi Mike, I actually corrected the URL in your post for you and removed the duplicate. You should be able to edit your posts at any time if you need to. Thanks for sharing your photos with us. It really is impressive to see so much mining artifacts left behind like this!

_________________
"If you thought old, abandoned mines were only in the west, then you haven't been to IronMiners.com!"


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:53 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
Hi Mike -- Thanks for your information.
I was amazed that this stuff was still there, but I'm sure it will not be there much longer. The adjacent area has been developed I'm sure that the same thing will happen here in the not too distant furture. I found images of your exploration of the area which included the tram. I'll have to go back when the leaves are down to see if I can find it.
I plan to visit the open pit mine (now lake community) to see if any of the properity owners know what their body of water actually is or if they have any information as to it's history. I remember it very clearly, as a child (long time ago) I would swim there.
There were images on of the Brewster mine. My assumption is that it is on top or near the top of one of the hills in a residential area of Brewster. Are there any mine workings there and could you give me a better location of the mine?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 5:51 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
I visited the McCllum Mine today (part of the Croton Magnetic Iron-ore Mines) a large open pit mine (filled with water) with an adit on the west side. The adit is completely hidden from view behind brush and trees but is easily accessible if you know where it is. There is a gate, with several large holes, not a very effective deterrent.

Although I knew this adit existed at one point in time I had assumed that when the homes were built around the Pit (lake) the adit was filled in. After a short conversation with the home owner (the house is above the adit) she verified that access to the adit was very possible. I secured permission to take a few images and off I went. The opening is quite large, you can walk in several feet until you reach water of at least two feet in depth. It appears that the cut goes back at least 100 feet. I am unsure as to how deep the water is as I just looked in took a few shots and was out. This adit may have connected withe the Theall mine on the other side of the hill. It is my understanding that a connection did exist but was lost in a cave-in.


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 Post subject: Croton Magnetic Mines
PostPosted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 9:27 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
I spoke with a relative of the former owner of the Theall Mine who died many years ago. The property transfered to another relative and is now up for sale, so the property will not exist in it's pristine state for much longer. His information is limited but gave me a good source, the Brewster Library. Other interesting information was that he McCollum Mine is not the lake but actually the cut into the hillside, will have to verify that one. He also mentioned that the mine entrance was covered when two kids became stuck in the mine.


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 Post subject: Magnetic Survey Map
PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 8:45 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
Posts: 11
Location: Carmel, NY
A visit this afternoon to the Putnam County Historical Society Archive facility brought an unexpected bonus-a map! "Index of magnetic anomalies in the Brewster Magnetite District". Another interesting find was a hand written history of the Croton Magnetic Mine and others. I copied part of the history but will need time to decipher the rough writing style -written in the 1936. There is more in the Archive which will require several additional visits; the town of Southeast was an active mining area. Unfortunately the map ends at the beginning of the village where two (at least) mines are located. The mine does indicate shafts that I was unaware of, not a good place to walk around without a high degree of alertness.


Last edited by gmike on Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:26 am, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 8:01 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:17 am
Posts: 754
Location: Monroe, CT
Wow a hand written history of the mines! how detailed is? it who was it written by?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 4:48 am 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
Miner CTMike wrote:
Wow a hand written history of the mines! how detailed is? it who was it written by?


It is a bit fragmented and hard to read but very interesting. Sally gave me the authors name but in my excitement I didn't right it down, I will get it with the rest of the the account. I corrected the date in the first post, it was written in 1936.

It does indicate that there was a RR spur that removed ore from the Theall side. I had thought that the terrain near the tracks looked like there was a RR bed heading in the direction of the mine. Also DC electricity was generated on the Croton River and brought up over the mountain to provide power to mining operations.

It also gives an account of a laborer thawing frozen dynamite placed in a shovel held over a fire. I have to find out if this was a common practice or just plain stupid!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:11 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:17 am
Posts: 754
Location: Monroe, CT
very interesting! do you think you can bring your copys for us to read on sunday?


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 Post subject: Croton Magnetic Mines
PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 12:07 pm 
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Joined: Thu Sep 07, 2006 1:04 pm
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Location: Carmel, NY
I will bring the documentation t have...
What time are you planning to arrive?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2006 10:42 pm 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:17 am
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Location: Monroe, CT
we will try to meet around 11;00 at the coffee shop, see you tomorow!


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 11:50 am 
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Joined: Wed Jul 06, 2005 10:17 am
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Location: Monroe, CT
I am working on deciphering 20 pages of slopy hand writen interviews with the miners and other people associated with the croton mag. mine. from 1935 which was 44 years after the mine closed in 1891.

Here is page one


''Plans to reopen the mine in 1911 were never carried out

regular shipments of ore first made in the summer of 1880 not over 35,000 tons

It has been customary to work the faces or stopes by the ton 50 to 75 cents was the usual contract price per ton broken and delivered outside the mine on the weigh scales above the sorting floors.

market for croton ore has been principally in the lehigh and scullykill districts of PA the rates of freight now rising to these points via the Harlem railroad no sales can be made even if the ore here sold for less than $2 a ton

the property is condemed to enforced idleness until such times as the iron market revives or a demand is created nearer the mine''


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:40 pm 
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Location: Monroe, CT
''Frank mccollum believes unfinished mill at hill top was built or started to try and get a greater damage award from the part of thier property for the watershed

a little ore was ground in 1912

company also extensivley tried to sell stock in southern states

company started aug 1 1882 dissolved 50 years later in 1929

the plant was intact for several years after closing the mine a night watchman was always kept there finally sam brownell bought it for junk it took 2 years to dismantle it with 15 men working steadily

NY city condemed the mine for watershed purposes 13 300' diamond drill holes were put down 12,000,000 tons of ore were established being underground which the city bought and paid damage for at 25 cents a ton

when it was first operated there was an endless cable tram which dumped ore buckets automatically

ramel conmoly erected steel plant at mine using the entire out put for a while it was an enormous plant at foot of hill by road

a man from pittsburg came and dilliberatly ruined steel on purpose to arrest development of steel mfg. in this part of country

seperate narrow gauge tramway to steel companies mill

made finest steel and shiped some ingots to a company in CT weighed 8- 10 hundred lbs each

mill was 90' high 45' wide 125' long ore went in top and out bottom''


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