From long before official statehood in 1858 and up to the present day, Minnesota has a rich history. Our state is shaped by many different people and events – from the Native American peoples who first inhabited the land, to the first arrival of French fur traders in the 1600s, to the latest presidential election.

And in addition to people and events, Minnesota has also been shaped by industry. Milling along the Mississippi River played an enormous role in the early history of Minneapolis, just as Minnesota’s 17 Fortune 500 companies play their part today. And up north, Minnesota’s mining left its mark on the Arrowhead region. These 12 rare photos of Minnesota’s mining history will give you a glimpse of life on the Iron Range.

1. The Iron Range is actually a series of ranges across seven counties in Minnesota's Arrowhead region.
Marion Doss/Flickr
2. The largest and most well-known is the Mesabi Range in Itasca and St. Louis counties.
Internet Archive Book Images/Flickr
3. Iron ore was discovered in the area in the late 1800s. Underground mining was common, but open pit mines were in use as well. One of the largest, Mahoning-Hull-Rust, still operates today.
Bjoertvedt/Wikimedia Commons
4. People came from near and far to work in the iron mines.
Johnston (Frances Benjamin) Collection/Library of Congress
5. This photo shows three Austrian men at work in the Iron Range.
Washburn, F.L., Agricultural Experiment Station, Anthony Park, MN/Wikimedia Commons
6. Underground workers used industrial machines like steam shovels to extract ore from the earth.
Library of Congress

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7. Mining led to other industry growth as well. This metal yard in Duluth opened as a result of mining.
Jewish Historical Society of the Upper Midwest/Flickr
8. Railroads developed to transport ore from the mines to shipping centers like Duluth.
John Vachon/Wikimedia Commons
9. Shipping also occurred in other places along the North Shore. Some towns, like Two Harbors, built loading docks to fill cargo ships with ore.
National Archives and Records Administration/Wikimedia Commons
10. Overall, more than 690 million tons have been transported from the Iron Range since mining operations began.
Library of Congress/Wikimedia Commons
11. After the Iron Range's heyday, many communities struggled. Elcor, pictured below, is one. Its decline began when the nearby Corsica mine shut down.
DrGregMN/Wikimedia Commons
12. Though mining is on the decline in Minnesota, there is no denying the impact it had on the state.
John Vachon/Wikimedia Commons

These photos are a small glimpse of what life was like in the early days of Minnesota’s mining industry, but did you know mining still continues on the Iron Range to this day? Check out this article about an enormous working mine in Minnesota that you can still visit today.

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