RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Pilot Knob Pellet Comp. Mine/Plant
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 4 gem or collectible minerals (Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Fluorite) and 7 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as producer. Minerals mentioned: Tourmaline, Quartz, Garnet, Feldspar, Magnetite, Pyrite, Fluorite. Approx. location 37.619, -90.633. USGS record.
Ask first: a USGS record doesn’t mean you can visit. Find out who owns the land and get permission before collecting.
Field cards: what kind of sites?
Produced ore or material at some point in the past.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
Was producing when the record was made.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
A processing plant site.
Status not recorded.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
10 sites
Copper
Mohs 2.5–3. Native copper is soft and turns green as it weathers. Mindat
9 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
8 sites
Galena
Mohs 2.5–2.75. Heavy, silvery lead ore that breaks into cubes. Mindat
5 sites
Silver
Mohs 2.5–3. Native silver tarnishes black. Mindat
5 sites
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
4 sites
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
3 sites
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
3 sites
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Galena 3Magnetite 2Sphalerite 2Bornite 2Bravoite 2Chalcopyrite 2Linnaeite 2Marcasite 2Millerite 2Pyrite 2Siegenite 2Hematite 1Commodities
Iron 35Manganese 14Lead 14Granite 9Copper 8Silver 5Zinc 4Cobalt 2Refiner 1Titanium 1Sites (first 40)
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annapolis | Lead | Galena | Past Producer | 37.367, -90.700 |
| Magmont Mine | Lead | Galena, Sphalerite, Bornite, Bravoite, Chalcopyrite, Linnaeite, Marcasite, Millerite, Pyrite, Siegenite | Producer | 37.639, -91.123 |
| Buick Mine | Zinc, Lead | Galena, Sphalerite, Pyrite, Marcasite, Chalcopyrite, Siegenite, Polydymite, Bravoite, Vaesite, Bornite, Arsenopyrite, Linnaeite, Millerite | Producer | 37.606, -91.123 |
| Russell Mountain | Iron | Hematite | Past Producer | 37.576, -90.703 |
| Shepherd Mountain | Iron | Magnetite | Past Producer | 37.607, -90.649 |
| Pilot Knob | Iron | Magnetite | Prospect | 37.619, -90.633 |
| Buford Mountain | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.706, -90.672 |
| Cuthbertson's Hill | Iron, Manganese | — | Occurrence | 37.540, -90.651 |
| Lewis Mountain | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.576, -90.647 |
| Burt Bank | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.679, -90.901 |
| Red Point Land Fe Occurrence | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.636, -91.136 |
| Rogers Bank | Iron | — | Occurrence | 37.686, -91.010 |
| Graves Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.296, -90.705 |
| Shut-In Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.588, -90.583 |
| Cedar Hill Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.633, -90.646 |
| Unknown - Iron | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.529, -90.642 |
| Unknown - Granite | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.637, -90.694 |
| Schneider Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.667, -90.688 |
| Graniteville Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.668, -90.690 |
| Sheanan Bros Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.651, -90.688 |
| Viburnum No.'s 27, 28, 29, and 35 (Casteel) mines | Lead | — | Producer | 37.753, -91.139 |
| Buford Mtn Mine | Iron, Manganese | — | Past Producer | 37.541, -90.660 |
| Annapolis Mine | Lead | — | Past Producer | 37.365, -90.569 |
| Glover | Lead, Refiner | — | Producer | 37.483, -90.693 |
| Unknown - Manganese | Manganese | — | Prospect | 37.519, -90.694 |
| Unknown - Manganese | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 37.538, -90.639 |
| Unknown - Iron | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.525, -90.639 |
| Graniteville Quarry | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.656, -90.688 |
| John Baird Property | Iron, Manganese | — | Past Producer | 37.530, -90.645 |
| Russell Mtn Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.574, -90.704 |
| Unknown - Iron | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.460, -90.668 |
| Pilot Knob Pellet Comp. Mine/Plant | — | — | Producer | 37.619, -90.633 |
| Unknown - Lead | Lead | — | Prospect | 37.394, -90.733 |
| Fred Swearingim Prospect | Manganese | — | Prospect | 37.522, -90.765 |
| Unknown - Granite | Granite | — | Past Producer | 37.657, -90.685 |
| Cuthbertson Mtn Mine | Manganese, Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.531, -90.642 |
| Eaton Iron Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.688, -90.897 |
| Unknown - Copper | Copper | — | Past Producer | 37.732, -90.982 |
| Graves Iron Mine | Iron | — | Past Producer | 37.296, -90.701 |
| Russel Property | Manganese | — | Past Producer | 37.541, -90.655 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 2 fossil collection records in Iron County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Madison County · St. Francois County · Washington County · Reynolds County · Ste. Genevieve County
Missouri mineral guides
- Quartz in Missouri
- Feldspar in Missouri
- Magnetite in Missouri
- Pyrite in Missouri
- Galena in Missouri
- Fluorite in Missouri
Back to all Missouri counties.
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