In 1878, Henry Hudson Barton's search for a better abrasive brought him to Gore Mountain, where he discovered a unique hard rock source of garnet. Barton's find turned out to be the world's highest quality industrial garnet and it has dominated the industry for more than 100 years.
Garnet is a metamorphic rock formed under intense pressure and heat. Imperfect crystals fracture with sharp cutting edges that are nearly as hard as a diamond, making them ideal abrasives. Perfect garnet crystals are cut as gemstones.
Today, Barton Mines owns and operates mining and milling operations on nearby Ruby Mountain and on the coast of Western Australia. The North Creek facility is the world's oldest continuously operating garnet mine, producing material for cutting, specialty lapping and grinding, sandblasting and abrasive coatings. It also yields granite blocks that are sold to manufacturers of countertops and tiles.The building that is now used as the ticket office for the Upper Hudson River Railroad was once used to store garnet awaiting shipment on the Adirondack Railroad and later, the D&H Railroad.
In this exhibit there is one very large bolder from the original Gore Mountain mine and one smaller boulder from Ruby Mountain.In 2004, Barton's Ruby Mountain quarry was the source of the corner stone for the Freedom tower in New York City.Source: Barton Mines Company, LLCSign made possible by a grant from Barton Mines Company, LLC
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