RockWoof
Check access before you go. Most sites listed here are old mines, quarries or prospects, and many are on private land or active mining claims. Get the landowner's permission, check the rules of the agency that manages any public land, and never enter mine workings. Locations are approximate.

Sketch map

Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 3 (Occurrence)Birk No. 2 Pit + 1 more nearby (Producer)Birk No. 3 Mine + 1 more nearby (Prospect)Birk No. 2b Mine + 3 more nearby (Past Producer)Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 4 (Occurrence)Illinois Minerals Co. No. 24 Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 2 (Occurrence)Whitaker Mines + 2 more nearby (Past Producer)Rhymer Mine + 1 more nearby (Past Producer)Shawnee Low Interest Refractory Clay Deposit (Occurrence)Unimin Plant & Mill (Producer)Unimin Plant (Producer)
Past ProducerProducerProspectOccurrenceStatus unknown
12 paw pins; nearby sites are grouped into one pin. Hover or tap a pin for the site name. County outline: US Census Bureau cartographic boundary file (2023). Locations approximate.

Field cards: what kind of sites?

10
Past Producer

Produced ore or material at some point in the past.

5
Producer

Was producing when the record was made.

4
Occurrence

The mineral was noted here, without development.

2
Prospect

Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.

Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.

Minerals recorded here

No individual minerals are listed in these records.

Commodities

Diatomite 14Silica 3

Sites

SiteCommodityMinerals recordedStatusApprox. location
Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 2——Occurrence37.333, -89.300
Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 4——Occurrence37.183, -89.333
Birk No. 2 PitDiatomite—Producer37.312, -89.367
Birk No. 2b MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.285, -89.350
Rhymer MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.315, -89.297
Whitaker MinesDiatomite—Past Producer37.301, -89.305
Shawnee Special Use Silica Deposit 3——Occurrence37.217, -89.433
Shawnee Low Interest Refractory Clay Deposit——Occurrence37.250, -89.283
Birk No. 3 MineDiatomite—Prospect37.238, -89.374
Illinois Minerals Co. No. 24 MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.301, -89.322
Birk No. 2a PitDiatomite—Producer37.288, -89.354
Unimin PlantSilica—Producer37.304, -89.264
Birk 2a PitDiatomite—Past Producer37.288, -89.354
Illinois Minerals Co. No 24 MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.301, -89.322
Whitaker MinesDiatomite—Past Producer37.301, -89.305
Birk No. 2 PitDiatomite—Producer37.312, -89.367
Unimin Plant & MillSilica—Producer37.229, -89.274
Illinois Minerals Co Mine No. 16Silica—Past Producer37.303, -89.305
Birk No. 2b MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.285, -89.350
Rhymer MineDiatomite—Past Producer37.315, -89.297
Birk No.3 MineDiatomite—Prospect37.238, -89.374

Fossil collections

The Paleobiology Database lists 5 fossil collection records in Alexander County. These are research records, not public dig sites.

Nearby counties

Union County · Jackson County · Pulaski County · Massac County · Johnson County

Illinois mineral guides

Back to all Illinois counties.

Related articles

How we built this page: we counted named sites in the USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) for this area, left out sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay pits and unnamed sites, grouped them by Census county, and linked every site to its USGS record. We did not visit these sites, and MRDS does not tell you who owns the land or whether collecting is allowed.

Source: USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS). USGS ceased systematic updates to MRDS around 2011, so status and details may be out of date. Each site links to its USGS record.

Updated