Ruggles Mine facts for kids
Inside Ruggles Mine
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| Location | |
|---|---|
 Ruggles Mine
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| Location | Grafton |
| State | New Hampshire |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 43°35′22″N 71°59′32″W / 43.58944°N 71.99222°W |
| Production | |
| Products | Mica, feldspar, beryl |
| History | |
| Opened | 1803 |
| Closed | 1960s |
Ruggles Mine was once a famous open-pit mine in Grafton, New Hampshire. It's about 40 miles northwest of Concord, New Hampshire. For many years, it was a popular place for tourists to visit. People could explore its big open pit, tunnels, and even some underground rooms. The best part was that visitors could search for and keep cool minerals they found! The mine is now closed and has been sold.
Contents
Discovering Minerals at Ruggles Mine
The rocks and minerals at Ruggles Mine are super old. Geologists believe they formed about 350 to 400 million years ago. This was during a time called the Devonian period. Over 150 different types of minerals have been found here.
The most common mineral is mica. You can also find feldspar, beryl, and beautiful crystals. These include amethyst, rose quartz, smoky quartz, and garnet. Some rare minerals containing uranium have also been discovered.
History of Ruggles Mine
The Mine's Early Days
The Ruggles Mine was started by Sam Ruggles. He opened the first commercial mica mine in the United States. This was way back in the early 1800s. Mica was important then for making things like lamp chimneys. It was also used for windows in stoves.
Sam Ruggles was a merchant from Boston. He hired local workers in Grafton to dig for the mica. People say the mine started in 1803. But the first official record of Sam buying land for the mine was in 1805. He started advertising mica for sale in 1825.
Passing Down the Business
In 1834, Sam Ruggles sold the mine to his son, George Haskell Ruggles. Sam and George worked together until Sam passed away in 1843. George then continued to run the family business.
After George died in 1863, other family members took over. Sam Ruggles' grandsons managed the mine until 1896. At that point, the mine was no longer active for a while.
Growing and Changing Uses
The mine grew a lot over the years. By 1869, they were digging out over 26,000 pounds of mica each year! By the 1960s, mica was used for many new things. It went into cosmetics, cement blocks, and asphalt roofing. It was also used in electrical insulators for appliances like toasters.
Later, they also started mining for feldspar. This mineral was used to make shiny glazes for china. Then, they began mining for beryl too.
From Mine to Tourist Spot
In 1960, the Ruggles Mine was put up for sale. The Wahlstrom family bought it because of its great reputation for mica. However, soon after, cheaper mica became available from other countries. This meant less demand for mica from Ruggles Mine.
So, the Wahlstrom family had a new idea. They decided to turn the mine into a place for tourists! In 1963, Ruggles Mine opened its doors to the public.
What Happened to Ruggles Mine?
Ruggles Mine was open to visitors every year from mid-May to mid-October. This continued from 1963 all the way until 2015. In 2016, the mine closed down and was put up for sale again.
In 2018, some local people started a petition online. They wanted the mine to become a New Hampshire state park. The New Hampshire State Park Advisory Council looked into this idea.
In September 2019, the Searles family sold the mine. They had owned it for over 50 years. It was bought by a company called Exciglow LLC. This company was said to be connected to a production company.
When the mine was open, getting there was an adventure. The drive up Isinglass Mountain was steep and winding. But at the top, visitors were rewarded with amazing views for miles around. After paying to enter, people would walk down into the mine. They could then search for and keep any minerals they found.
