ORIGIN OR THE HARD ROCK PHOSPHATES. 
43 
The production of phosphate rock on a commercial scale in 
Florida began with the mining of the Peace Creek pebble deposits, 
probably in 1887, the first shipments having been made in 1888. 
The first company to operate on Peace River was the Arcadia 
Phosphate Company, organized by Mr. T. S. Morehead, of 
Philadelphia. The first shipments were to the G. W. Scott 
Manufacturing Company of Atlanta. (Millar, 1892, page 24.) 
Hard rock phosphate mining began one or two years later than 
river pebble mining, but developed much more rapidly. Accord¬ 
ing to Millar, the first of the hard rock mining companies to 
actually take the field was the Marion Phosphate Company, which 
broke ground near Dunnellon in December, 1889, and made a 
first shipment to Liverpool in April, 1890. The Dunnellon Phos¬ 
phate Company, which was probably the first company organized, 
began mining in February, 1890, and made their first shipment 
to London and Hamburg in May, 1890. Following the discovery 
of the hard rock phosphate deposits mining companies were 
organized in rapid succession. It is said that fully one hundred 
hard rock phosphate companies were organized in the United 
States, and that forty-one of these actually began operations. By 
the close of 1891 only eighteen companies were operating. At 
the present time, 1913, fourteen companies are mining hard rock 
phosphate. 
INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FLORIDA PHOSPHATE 
DEPOSITS. 
The chief official investigations that have been made of the 
Florida phosphates are those of the United States Geological 
Survey, the United States Census Bureau, the United States Com¬ 
missioner of Labor, the United States Department of Agricul¬ 
ture, and the Florida State Geological Survey. In addition, the 
reports of the State Chemist of Florida and of the State Experi¬ 
ment Station contain many analyses of Florida phosphate rock. 
Dr. J. Kost, during his brief term of office as State Geologist in 
1886, also contributed towards the discovery of phosphate and the 
development of the industry. 
