RockWoofFound alongside
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
54 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
38 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
24 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
17 sites
Tourmaline
Mohs 7–7.5. Long striated crystals, often black (schorl) or green and pink (elbaite). Mindat
5 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
2 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
By county
Jo Daviess County (32) · Hardin County (13) · Pope County (4) · Madison County (2) · LaSalle County (1) · Calhoun County (1) · Grundy County (1)
Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glanville Prospect | Zinc | Barite, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.364, -90.405 |
| Hillside | Fluorine-Fluorite | Chalcopyrite, Fluorite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.435, -88.339 |
| Hughlett and Gray Mine | Zinc | Chalcopyrite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.498, -90.404 |
| Hicks Dome Rare - Earth, Thorium Prospects | Fluorine-Fluorite, REE, Thorium | Fluorite | Occurrence | 37.533, -88.367 |
| Defender Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 37.511, -88.199 |
| Green Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 37.511, -88.198 |
| Hubbard Shaft | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite | Past Producer | 37.519, -88.425 |
| C. M. Miller Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite, Galena | Past Producer | 37.504, -88.222 |
| Robinson Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite, Galena, Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.500, -88.223 |
| Lost 40 Mines | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.503, -88.526 |
| Douglas Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | Fluorite, Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 37.519, -88.424 |
| Cave In Rock Quadrangle Mine | Zinc, Fluorine-Fluorite, Lead | Fluorite, Sphalerite | Producer | 37.517, -88.200 |
| Royal Princess Mine | Zinc | Galena, Marcasite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.305, -90.394 |
| Upper Mississippi Valley Zinc-Lead Region, Illinois Sector | Zinc | Galena, Marcasite, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.450, -90.417 |
| Little Corporal Mine | Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.423, -90.470 |
| Kansas Mine | Lead, Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.314, -90.233 |
| Rockford Mining and Milling Co. Mine | Lead, Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.448, -90.239 |
| Bautsch Mine | Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.344, -90.392 |
| Haggerty Mine | Zinc, Lead | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.327, -90.242 |
| Illinois Mine | Lead | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.313, -90.240 |
| Wishon Mine | Lead | Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.335, -90.242 |
| Northwestern Mine | Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.499, -90.397 |
| Vinegar Hill Mine | Zinc | Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.496, -90.416 |
| Skene Mine | Lead | Galena, Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.298, -90.237 |
| Waters Mine | Zinc | Smithsonite, Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.420, -90.436 |
| North Unity Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.503, -90.406 |
| Blewett Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.434, -90.420 |
| Hoosier Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.462, -90.441 |
| Pilot Knob Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.382, -90.420 |
| Pittsburg Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.359, -90.400 |
| Appleton Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.432, -90.384 |
| Betsy Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.397, -90.479 |
| Oldenburg Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.453, -90.443 |
| Birkbeck Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.486, -90.389 |
| Graham-Ginte Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.467, -90.424 |
| South Unity Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.498, -90.410 |
| Marsden Black Jack Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.368, -90.410 |
| Buck Lead Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.435, -90.426 |
| Gray Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.352, -90.396 |
| Ten Strike Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.408, -90.468 |
| Graham-Snyder Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Past Producer | 42.479, -90.431 |
| Merry Widow Mine | Zinc | Sphalerite | Unknown | 42.407, -90.472 |
| Southwestern Illinois Area Underc | — | — | Prospect | 38.632, -90.054 |
| Annie No.4 | — | — | Past Producer | 37.522, -88.180 |
| Madison County Fireclay | — | — | Prospect | 38.700, -90.044 |
| Denton Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.571, -88.220 |
| Knight Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.424, -88.366 |
| Heavy Media Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.523, -88.190 |
| La Salle County Fire Clay | — | — | Past Producer | 41.419, -88.634 |
| Howell Hollow Fire Clay | — | — | Prospect | 39.393, -90.805 |
| Henson Mine | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.465, -88.471 |
| Northern Illinois Area Fireclay | — | — | Unknown | 41.459, -88.322 |
| M.F. Oxford No. 7 | — | — | Past Producer | 37.532, -88.176 |
| Rosiclare Fluorspar - Lead - Zinc District | Lead, Zinc, Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Past Producer | 37.433, -88.350 |
Back to Rockhounding in Illinois.
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