Soudan Underground Mine

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Minnesota's first iron ore mine-the Soudan Mine-opened in 1882. Operations went underground by 1892 since the ore body continued deep into the ground. The mine's value was in the special kind of ore it produced. The ore's high oxygen content was used to make high-quality steel in open-hearth furnaces. When technology changed, the ore from the mine was no longer needed. Low-cost ores of the Mesabi Range took over, and Soudan Mine closed in 1962. Today, you can travel 1/2 mile underground and ride a train car back to last area that the miners worked.Minnesota's first iron ore mine-the Soudan Mine-opened in 1882. Operations went underground by 1892 since the ore body continued deep into the ground. The mine's value was in the special kind of ore it produced. The ore's high oxygen content was used to make high-quality steel in open-hearth furnaces. When technology changed, the ore from the mine was no longer needed. Low-cost ores of the Mesabi Range took over, and Soudan Mine closed in 1962. Today, you can travel 1/2 mile underground and ride a train car back to last area that the miners worked.