Eveleth:
The recorded discovery of deposits of ore in the Eveleth
area occurred in July 1892, when Mr. Adams was using a
spring pole drill. However, it was not until the October
1892 that the Adams Mining Company was formed. The discovery
of ore deposits and formation of the Adams Mining Company
are generally considered the beginning of Eveleth. Eveleth
has five sites on the National Register of Historic Sites
and has provided 6 members of US Olympic Hockey Teams (Andre
Gambucci, Willard Ikola, John Matchefts, John Mayasich, Mark
Pavelich and Tom Yurkovich). Additional Eveleth History is
found on the History Page (under revision) of the
Eveleth Heritage Committee.
Gilbert:
Gilbert's beginnings can be traced to a mining location
which began around 1892 and became the Village of Sparta in
1896. When the town had to move to clear the way for iron
ore mining, it took the name of the nearest group of mines -
Gilbert. Today the Gilbert mine is gone, but the City of
Gilbert is located just outside of Virginia, on Highway 135,
and Sparta is a smaller community between Eveleth and
Gilbert.
Mountain Iron:
Iron Ore was discovered in Mountain Iron by Leonidas
Merritt in 1890. This is considered the birth of iron ore
mining on the Mesabi Iron Range. Each year in August
Mountain Iron celebrates this event with Merritt Days.
Virginia:
Iron Ore was discovered in the Virginia area in March
1892. Virginia was settled to accommodate the Iron Ore
Mining in the area. Lumbering came later to take care of the
settlement in building the town. Both turned out to be big
businesses. At one time Virginia had both the largest White
Pine Mill in the world and the biggest ore producing
mine-Mesaba Mountain. Virginia got its name "Queen City
Mesaba" because of it's progressiveness. Virginia has
fifteen buildings on the National Register of Historic
Places and the downtown commercial district is also on the
register. Mountain Iron is the birthplace of the Mesabi Iron
Range.
Iron Ore:
Our histories are intertwined with
the discovery of iron ore. Since the first discovery of iron
ore in 1890, the Mesabi Iron Range has produced iron to help
the United States fight two world wars and fuel the economic
growth of the 20th Century.
