Silver with Copper

specimen number:
2062099

location:
South Kearsarge Mine, Houghton Co., Michigan, USA

description:
Crystals of native copper measuring to 1.1 cm in size on matrix with slightly smaller crib crystals of native silver. Collected in 1998. In good condition.

The South Kearsarge Mine, located in Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula, was one of the many important copper mines operating during the region's mining boom in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Developed as part of the Kearsarge Lode, a highly productive fissure vein system, the mine became known for its rich native copper deposits embedded in amygdaloid basalt. Operations expanded significantly after its establishment in the 1880s, with shafts reaching considerable depths and employing large numbers of workers drawn to the area by the promise of steady employment. Like many Keweenaw mines, South Kearsarge relied on underground mining methods and stamp mills to process ore. Production declined in the early 1900s as richer deposits were exhausted and copper prices fluctuated, eventually leading to its closure. Today, the site is part of the historical legacy of Michigan's Copper Country, reflecting both the industrial growth and eventual decline of one of America's earliest major mining regions.

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