Antwerp, Jefferson, NY

Mining

ORE BEDS

Iron ore, of the kind known as red hematite, has been found at many points in the town, and bed have been worked here for more than forty years; the most extensive and successful of these operations having been prosecuted a the Sterling mine, some three miles north by east from Antwerp village. The presence of ore at this point was discovered in the year 1836,-- it being upon a spot of hard ground in a swamp which formed a part of the farm of Hopestill Foster, in the sale of which the mineral rights had been reserved to the proprietor, David Parrish. He, however, --in view of the fact that, during the preceding twenty years, attempts at the mining of ore in the town had frequently been made, and had uniformly failed of pecuniary success,--thought very lightly of this new discovery, and readily consented to sell his interest in it for $200 to James Sterling, from whom the mine took the name by which it has since been known. It was opened in the fall of 1836, and during the succeeding winter two thousand tons were taken out and carried to the Sterlingville furnace, which Mr. Sterling had commenced to build in 1836, and which has since that time been mainly supplied by he rich ore from the Sterling mine.

A few years since, upon the occasion of a visit to the mine, made by Professor H. S. Osborn, of Miami University, he predicted that before reaching a depth of one hundred and fifty feet from the surface the vein would produce magnetic ore. This prediction of the professor has been fully verified, and now, at a depth of about one hundred and forty-feet, the miners are working an apparently inexhaustible bed of magnetic ore.

These beds have proved to be of immense value. Since the ownership of James Sterling, they have passed through various hands, and are now the property of the Jefferson Iron Company.

The "White ore-beds"—so called from its location on the frm of G. E. White, a short distance south from the Sterling mine—was opened by Mr. Parrish in 1848; but the ore proved of inferior quality, being impregnated with sulphur, and the bed was not profitable.

The "Ward’ bed was opened on the farm of Nathan W. Ward in 1852, and produced considerable quantities of ore, which were taken to Wegatchie for reduction.

The "Dixon mine" was opened on the frm of Charles White, under lease from Parrish, by a. P. Sterling, of Antwerp, and Edgar Peckham, of Rome, at the time of their erection of the forge on Indian river, above Sterlingburgh, in1870. The mineral rights in this, and also in the Ward farm, were soon after sold to George Paddock & Co., of Watertown, under whose proprietorship a railway was built, about one and a quarter miles in length, from the track of the Rome, Watertown, and Ogdensburgh railroad to the Dixon mine. In 1876 the interests of Paddock & Co., were sold by the sheriff to A. F. Baker, and have now become the property of the Jefferson Iron Company, who purpose extending their railway to the Sterling mine.

The Keene ore-beds, situated near Keene’s Station of the Rome, Watertown and Ogdensburgh railroad, and but a few rods from the county line, were opened about 1838,--the discovery of the presence of ore at that place having been made by Colonel Hiram B. Keene while plowing for winter wheat. Colonel Keene sold the right to mine upon his farm to Caleb Essington, of Sterlingville, and Mr. Munson, of Utica. The vein was traced to an adjoining frm, of which Mr. Parrish had reserved the mineral right, and here a mine was opened by Mr. Fuller, of Fullerville, St. Lawrence county. These ore-beds are now owned by the Rossie Iron Mining Company, and are connected by railway track with the main line to Watertown.

A few years ago all the reserved mineral rights to Antwerp, which were still owned by the Parrish estate, were sold to Aric Pardee, of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and under his direction an ore bed was opened near the farm of Andrew Kinney, a short distance north of the Sterling mine; but this enterprise did not prove successful, and it is no longer worked.

STONE QUARRIES

The business of quarrying stone was commenced nearly three quarters of a century ago,--the first opening being made in 1805 or 1806 by David Coffeen and James Parker. This was located on the State road, between Lee’s Tavern and the Ox Bow, and was known as the "Parker ledge." From it were taken the stones used in the old church mill at Antwerp village. The manufacture of mill-stones was a specialty of this ledge, but the production was not great, amounting to but about $10,000 in over twenty years’ work from the time of opening. Quarries have since been opened at various places in the town,--among those at present in operation being those of Render Brothers, two miles north of Antwerp, and one on the frm of Jasper Robinson, one mile farther south. There are also several others less extensive. The Antwerp stone—known as the Potsdam sandstone—is an excellent building material. It may be seen in many structures in the vicinity; notably the Seminary buildings and the Congregational church at Antwerp. (Jefferson County History, by L. H. Everts, 1878)

Transcribed by Holice B.Young

Html by Debbie

December 26, 1999

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