Scott Mine Hoist
The Scott Mine is one of many abandoned iron mines that dot the Ramapo Mountain area of NY and NJ. Many have been filled in, but a small number of them can still be found. The Scott Mine was named after Thomas A. Scott, a director of the Sterling Iron and Railway Company. The mine began operations shortly after the end of the Civil War. In a single year in 1880, 5,783 tons of magnetite ore were removed. The mine was originally worked through an inclined shaft. At the surface the incline was gradual but after only a short distance, plunged 85 degrees.
After the Ramapo Ore Company took over operations in 1918, a new vertical shaft was sunk to a depth of 600 feet and 400 feet north of the aforementioned entrance. A headframe (seen above) was erected to serve this concrete lined shaft that connected with the 180 foot and 345 foot levels. The ore was raised by 3 ton skip cars, dumped into a storage chamber and metered from multiple chutes into ore cars.
I believe this mine was worked until sometime in the 1930s, at which time it was abandoned. The shaft is not sealed, and although fenced, it is possible to fall into the vertical opening of this mine. As such, I respect this fence, and stayed a respectable distance away from the decaying wood cover over the opening.
This mine is about a mile away from another mine, the Lake Mine, which I shot pictures of last year. Ore from both of these mines was processed a facility near the Lake Mine.
Scott Mine Hoist
The Scott Mine is one of many abandoned iron mines that dot the Ramapo Mountain area of NY and NJ. Many have been filled in, but a small number of them can still be found. The Scott Mine was named after Thomas A. Scott, a director of the Sterling Iron and Railway Company. The mine began operations shortly after the end of the Civil War. In a single year in 1880, 5,783 tons of magnetite ore were removed. The mine was originally worked through an inclined shaft. At the surface the incline was gradual but after only a short distance, plunged 85 degrees.
After the Ramapo Ore Company took over operations in 1918, a new vertical shaft was sunk to a depth of 600 feet and 400 feet north of the aforementioned entrance. A headframe (seen above) was erected to serve this concrete lined shaft that connected with the 180 foot and 345 foot levels. The ore was raised by 3 ton skip cars, dumped into a storage chamber and metered from multiple chutes into ore cars.
I believe this mine was worked until sometime in the 1930s, at which time it was abandoned. The shaft is not sealed, and although fenced, it is possible to fall into the vertical opening of this mine. As such, I respect this fence, and stayed a respectable distance away from the decaying wood cover over the opening.
This mine is about a mile away from another mine, the Lake Mine, which I shot pictures of last year. Ore from both of these mines was processed a facility near the Lake Mine.