214 THE VERMILION IRON-BEARING DISTRICT. 



The iron range of Lake Vermilion is on the east end [of the lake], on the stream 

 known as Two River, which is about 60 feet wide. There are two parallel ridges 

 forming the boundary of this stream, and at the mouth on each side are extensive 

 tamarack swamps. This range is about one mile in length, it then ceases, and 

 after passing through a swamp, another uplift is reached, from 250 to 300 feet high. 

 The iron is exposed at two or three points between 50 and 60 feet in thickness; at 

 these points it presents quite a mural face, but below it is covered with detritus of 

 the overcapping rock. On this account its exact thickness could not be correctlj' 

 ascertained. The ore is of the variety known as hematite and white steelj' iron, and 

 is associated with quartzose, jasperoids and serpentine rocks. It generallj" has a cap 

 rock from 3 to 20 feet thick. A little to the north of this is an exposure of mag- 

 netic iron of very good qualitj', forming a hill parallel with the one described. 



The hematitic iron has a reddish appearance from exposure to atmospheric influ- 

 ence; its fracture is massive and granular; color, a dark, steel gray. The magnetic 

 iron ore is strongly attracted bj" the magnet and has polaritj^; is graoularly massive; 

 color, iron black. 



The timber here is very abundant and good, of the same class as prevails else- 

 where in this region. 



Some time after this, in 1875, the first exploratory work in this district 

 was taken up by Mr. George R. Stuntz, accompanied by Mr. John Malh 

 mann, who began to prospect the VermiHon ore deposits on Lee Hill, 

 soiithwest of the bay of Vermilion Lake, which is now known as Stuntz 

 Bay, named after Mr. Stuntz. In 1880 Prof. A. H. Chester examined 

 the Vermilion Lake ore deposits for private parties, and Mr. Bailey Willis 

 studied them for the Census Office. Systematic and extensive efforts were 

 made in the late seventies and the early eighties to develop the iron resources 

 which were known to be present in this district. By this time the Minnesota 

 Iron Compan}' had been organized and all of the properties which at that 

 time were known to contain ore and great stretches of country which were in 

 the continuation of xhe ore range had been purchased, the company owning 

 over 20,000 acres of land on the Vermilion range proper and in the vicinity 

 of the good harbor on Lake Superior, known now as Two Harbors. On 

 August 1, 1884, the Duluth and Iron Range Railroad was completed from 

 Two Harbors to Tower. This road was 72 miles long. At a later date it 

 was connected with Duluth, 25 miles away. During the first year (1884) 

 62,122 tons of ore were shipped, some of this having come from the stock 

 piles which had been growing during the years of development preceding 

 the opening of the railroad. 



