North Star Maganese Inc.

Minnesota Mineral Endowment

Minnesota is mineral resource rich and has a long and continuous history of mining.

Commercial exploration and mining began with the Minnesota Gold Rush in the 1860s, which was short lived.

In late 1860s, high grade iron ore was discovered, and it continues to be backbone of Minnesota’s mining history and legacy.

  • Vermillion Iron Range – discovered in the late 1860s, iron ore production began in 1867, and the last mine closed in 1967. Vermillion has a history of both open pit and underground mines. The principal ores were magnetite and hematite.
  • Mesabi Iron Range – discovered in the 1870s, iron ore shipments began in 1892 and continue today. Mesabi has a history of both open pit and underground mines. Historically, the principal ores were hematite and goethite, and today it is taconite. The Mesabi Iron Range today supplies more than 90-95% of the iron ore consumed in the United States.
  • Cuyuna Iron Range – discovered in 1904, iron ore shipments began in 1911 and the last mine closed in 1984. Cuyuna has a history of both open pit and underground mines. The principal ores were hematite and various manganese-iron ores.

The Emily District, the northern part of the Cuyuna Iron Range, was first discovered by drilling in 1913, but iron ore companies never opened mines due to too much high-grade manganese in the iron ore formation.

Minnesota also holds substantial undeveloped resources of nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum, palladium, and titanium.

Minnesota Mining History

Minnesota has a long mining history, and iron ore and other minerals have safely been extracted in the state for more than 150 years.

Decades ago, iron ore mined in Minnesota helped build and shape the country, and today, Minnesota continues to supply more than 90-95% of the domestic iron ore consumed by the U.S. steel industry.

As America advances to a green economy, resources mined and produced in Minnesota can continue to support our economy.

Minnesota’s strong environmental rules and processes, along with its history of managing mining projects, makes the Emily manganese deposit an even more significant opportunity, meaning this valuable resource can be mined and processed in a way that protects the environment, supports our local communities, and provides a needed material to the evolving American economy.