Located in Prince William Forest Park, the Pyrite Mine trail leads you to a peaceful, open expanse above the banks of the Quantico Creek. From 1889 to 1920 the area was busy with the sights, sounds and smells of mining. The Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine employed residents of the villages of Batestown and Hickory Ridge, and the "fool's gold" that miners brought to the surface was processed into sulfuric acid and used in making soap, fertilizer and gunpowder. During the years it operated, the Cabin Branch mine supplied more than 200,000 long tons (a long ton is 2,400 pounds) of pyrite for industry in the United States. After its closure in 1920, the Cabin Branch mine lay dormant. In 1995, the National Park Service and the state of Virginia reclaimed the mine.
Comments 0 comments