Pyrite Mine

From 1889 to 1919, the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine along Quantico Creek employed miners from nearby communities who used dynamite to extract pyrite from shafts more than 1,000 feet below the surface. The ore was mined for its sulfur, which industries used to make soap, fertilizer, paper, medicines, and explosives. In 1919, miners earned $3.50 to $4.25 per day, with some of their pay issued as coupons redeemable only at the company store. The mine included more than 70 buildings and had 250 employees. When workers sought a raise of 50 cents per day, the superintendent declared, "Before I will give you another penny, I will let the shafts fill up with water and the frogs jump in," and, as cheaper but higher-grade pyrite had been discovered in Spain, he shut down the mine.

Dumfries, Virginia · United States