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NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Mining 
New York State

*THE MODERN PERIOD:*

During the period from the end of the First World War to the beginning
of World War II, mining in New York State generally declined. Graphite
mining ceased. Quarries for building stone greatly diminished. Only a
few of the largest iron mines survived and but two garnet mines remained
in operation during the early part of this period. Two small emery
(abrasive) mines in Westchester County eventually failed. However, the
Second World War brought resurgence in some quarters of the mining
industry. Because of the necessity of a domestic source for certain raw
materials, large iron mines in the Adirondack counties of Essex, Clinton
and St. Lawrence were rejuvenated. From 1938 to 1945, more than eight
million tons of ore were produced from the mines at Mineville, Essex
County, alone. A nineteenth century iron mine at Tahawus in Essex County
was reincarnated as an ilmenite (FeTiO3) mine to provide titanium
dioxide, an essential component of paint pigment and chemical smoke
screens. These mines remained in operation for as much as forty years
but all were closed by 1982 and neither iron nor titanium were being
mined in New York State by the beginning of the twenty-first century.
The last of the gypsum mines closed in 1999.

Some mines did fare well in the modern period. Industrial talc mines in
St. Lawrence County expanded. The talc was used for filler in paper,
ceramics and rubber. It was not used for cosmetics. The talc mines
closed in 2008. Mines for sphalerite (ZnS), a primary zinc ore, were
established in 1920 and continued to operate in St. Lawrence County
until 2008. Halite, extracted both as rock salt and brine is still an
important commodity. Clay for landfill cover and portland cement is
mined. Small mines produce peat for agricultural purposes. Garnet is
still produced for abrasives and water filtration. During this modern
period, a new commodity came to maturity. The mineral wollastonite
(CaSi03) entered the market as a filler material and found particular
utility in the manufacture of molded resin automobile body panels. Two
New York State mines in the Adirondacks produce a third of the world?s
supply of this mineral. Granite, slate and bluestone (sandstone)
quarries show continued strength. By far the most important mines in the
state of New York in the modern period are those that produce
construction aggregates (crushed stone, sand and gravel) and portland
cement.

At the beginning of the twenty-first century, there were 2,500 operating
mines in New York State. These mines provided direct employment for
about 5,000 people and indirect employment, that is jobs for people who
use the products, for five times that number. Ninety percent of the
mines are for construction aggregates which are used to build road,
houses, schools, airports and many other projects that use fill,
concrete or asphalt. New York was the only state to produce
wollastonite, and was first in production of garnet, third in salt,
sixth in dimension stone, and eighth in portland cement. The following
table lists mineral production in New York State in recent years.