WorldWide Drilling Resource

58 OCTOBER 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Mining in the USA Part 25 Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Tennessee has more diverse natural resources than any other southern state, and has been mining deposits since the late 18th century. Throughout its long and varied mining history, some of Tennessee’s most important products have been iron, copper, bituminous coal, lead, and zinc. In 1860, the state ranked third in iron bloomery production. However, the industry became less and less important and was almost nonexistent by the mid-1900s. Since then, only a few small and sporadic iron mining operations have taken place. Another early mining industry in Tennessee was coal. During the 1840s, small quantities were mined mainly by blacksmiths who used it in their shops. Large- scale mining was taking place by the 1850s. The number of mines has fluctuated over the years, but unlike iron, coal pro- duction has remained significant in the state. Today, bituminous coal mining takes place in the Cumberland Plateau and Cumberland Mountains regions. In recent decades, the major markets for Tennessee coal have been utilities in and around the state. Lead and zinc have been mined in Tennessee since as early as the revolutionary era. Lead is found in East and Middle Tennessee, usually in limestones and dolomites, and commonly in association with zinc. Early deposits were mined in Washington and Unicoi Counties, and deposits were also mined in Claiborne and Union Counties in the 19th century to make bullets. No mines have been worked exclusively for lead in recent years, but zinc production in Tennessee led the nation until the 1990s. Zinc ore from the Mascot-Jefferson district is used for a variety of functions including manufacturing brass and minting pennies. Mines in Smith County produce the highest-grade zinc concentrate in the world at 64.5%, and are also some of the world’s largest sources of germanium, an important component of fiber optics, infrared systems, and semiconductors. Tennessee is the only southern state to be a major producer of copper. Mining of the industrial metal began in the Ducktown- Copperhill District in the mid-19th century. Operations continued in the area until the Tennessee Chemical Company closed its mines in 1987 after almost 125 years of continuous production. The Volunteer State is the country’s leading producer of ball clay, which is used to manufacture floor and wall tile. Other mined or quarried materials include sandstone and marble, crushed stone, and limestone. Some of the world’s best marble comes from East Tennessee, which is why Knoxville is known as the “Marble City”. Most of the marble in the U.S. Capitol building came from Tennessee. Each year, Tennessee’s mineral industry contributes about $800 million in product value. Total economic impact equals roughly $8.8 billion annually, affecting over 98,000 jobs. Tennessee East Tennessee Iron Company scrip courtesy of tennesseeencyclopedia.net