Mining for Souls
Page 42
DEVELOPMENT OF LYON MOUNTAIN, N Y. AS A MINING ENTERPRISE
page 2
Drill Shop, underground, 750 level with group of miners
In 1921 a sintering plant was built at Lyon Mountain,In
May 1924, the separator, which had been completed in 1918 of such material
as was available, was destroyed by fire; a new and larger separator and concentrating
plant, built entirely of steel and concrete, absolutely fireproof, was then
built and put in operation in June 1925.
By 1925, the plants and equipment of the Company
were modern in every way; including a well-developed mine, with one main
hoisting shaft, with steel headframe and concrete and steel hoist house; a
large and modern concentrating plant; and at the furnace, a skip hoist and
bins, pig-casting machine, a 25,000-cu.ft. turboblower, a cooling system,
and a revolving distributor. The subsequent years have been devoted entirely
to operating the plant and marketing the products.
Early in 1939, Republic Steel, having taken over
the Witherbee-Sherman mining operations at Mineville and Port Henry, looked
with interest on the Chateaugay mining operations at Lyon Mountain. A study
indicated that they would fit into the ultimate picture of Republic's proposed
Adirondack development and the Delaware and Hudson Co. felt that it might
be to their best interests to have their property operated by a steel company
with large iron-ore consuming capacity, so a mutual agreement was readily
consummated and Republic immediately decided to improve Chateaugay facilities
for a decided increase in production. Demand for this special low-phosphorous
ore, because of the war, resulted in doubling the output. Wet drilling and
wet concentration have been adopted and installation of appropriate equipment
is practically completed.
Transportation was improved by extension of the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad seventeen miles from Dannemora to Lyon Mountain
in 1879. On Dec.18, 1879, the first train of ore was moved to Plattsburgh,
N. Y. This provided access to both water shipping on Lake Champlain and
rail access direct to Pennsylvania steel centers. Operations expanded
at Lyon Mountain and that hamlet grew rapidly from a few wilderness shacks
to a thriving community of 3,000 inhabitants in a few short years.
Loading ore - manuel lift gate.
A blast furnace was erected near Lyon Mountain
at Standish in 1885 for producing pig iron and the Chateaugay iron was in
great demand for the Bessemer process due to its low phosphorus content. Within
a short period the Catalan forges were all abandoned as the blast furnace
produced a superior product at lower cost. In the years immediately
preceding the Lyon
Mountain operations producing the famous "Chateaugay Iron" became an important
contributor to Republic's product line.
In 1939 the Standish blast furnace was dismantled
and the rich iron ore produced from the mine shipped to other more modern
Republic blast furnaces. The mine plant was modernized, production
increased and its high grade product became a vital contribution to the World
War II war effort.Republic Steel continued to operate the Lyon Mountain mine
until its economic life was completed in June 1967.
by Bernard Hart
Ore chutes underground
continued on Page 3 of Mining History
Sources:
Adirondack Museum photos, Blue Mountain Lake, NY;
History of Clinton County, New York;
from History of Mining of Chateaugay
Ore and Iron Company.
Go to Page 1 of The History of Lyon
Mountain.
Go to Page 3 of The History of
Lyon Mountain.
Go to Mining History for The History
of Mining in the North Country.
Go to Page 5 of The History of Lyon
Mountain.(for article on Lyon Mt. and Mineville)
Go to Page 43 of Mining for Souls.
Back to Page 41 of Mining for Souls.
Go to Page 1 of Mining for Souls.(cover
page)
Rod Bigelow
Box 13 Chazy Lake
Dannemora, N.Y. 12929
rodbigelow@netzero.net 
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