RockWoofSketch map
Woof’s favorite find
Port Leyden
We picked it because its USGS record mentions 2 gem or collectible minerals (Quartz, Garnet) and 5 of our card minerals overall. No other named site here scores as high on both counts. USGS lists it as prospect. Minerals mentioned: Quartz, Garnet, Feldspar, Magnetite, Pyrite. Approx. location 43.583, -75.343. 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.
The mineral was noted here, without development.
Explored or test-dug, with no recorded production.
A processing plant site.
Was producing when the record was made.
Status terms come from USGS MRDS records.
Mineral cards
Garnet
Mohs 6.5–7.5. Usually deep red, round many-faced crystals. Mindat
2 sites
Mica
Mohs 2–3. Peels into thin, flexible, shiny sheets. Mindat
2 sites
Pyrite
Mohs 6–6.5. Brassy “fool’s gold,” often cubic. Mindat
2 sites
Quartz
Mohs 7. Six-sided points; smoky quartz is NH’s state gem. Mindat
1 site
Feldspar
Mohs 6–6.5. Blocky crystals with flat cleavage faces. Mindat
1 site
Magnetite
Mohs 5.5–6.5. Black and strongly magnetic. Mindat
1 site
Fluorite
Mohs 4. Cubes in purple, green or yellow; many glow under UV. Mindat
1 site
Counts are sites whose USGS record mentions the mineral or commodity. Hardness from Mindat.
Minerals recorded here
Molybdenite 1Talc 1Marble 1Granite 1Commodities
Talc-Soapstone 5Iron 3Marble 3Dimension 3Wollastonite 3Titanium 2Molybdenum 1Metal 1Dolomite 1Granite 1Sites
| Site | Commodity | Minerals recorded | Status | Approx. location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Croghan Plant | Granite | Granite | Past Producer | 43.886, -75.404 |
| Unnamed Quarry | Marble, Dimension | Marble | Past Producer | 44.168, -75.328 |
| Kirschnerville | Molybdenum | Molybdenite | Occurrence | 43.867, -75.300 |
| Carbola Quarry and Mill | Talc-Soapstone | Talc | Past Producer | 44.078, -75.461 |
| Port Leyden Mine | Titanium, Metal, Iron | — | Occurrence | 43.583, -75.333 |
| Unnamed Quarry | Marble, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 44.026, -75.481 |
| Diana Talc Pit | Talc-Soapstone | — | Past Producer | 44.075, -75.470 |
| Harrisville Quarry | Marble, Dimension | — | Past Producer | 44.156, -75.331 |
| Hungerford Farm Quarry | Dolomite | — | Past Producer | 44.112, -75.495 |
| Valentine Mine | Wollastonite | — | Producer | 44.124, -75.378 |
| Carbola Chemical Co Mine | Talc-Soapstone | — | Past Producer | 44.079, -75.470 |
| Erwin Ackerman Property Deposit | Mica | — | Prospect | 44.158, -75.408 |
| Natural Bridge Deposit | Talc-Soapstone | — | Occurrence | 44.068, -75.448 |
| George G. Goodelle Property Deposit | Iron | — | Prospect | 44.139, -75.406 |
| Diana Pit & Mill | Talc-Soapstone | — | Plant | 44.078, -75.461 |
| Harrisville Deposit | Wollastonite | — | Occurrence | 44.150, -75.330 |
| Martinsburg Deposit | Fluorine-Fluorite | — | Occurrence | 43.744, -75.481 |
| Port Leyden | — | — | Prospect | 43.583, -75.343 |
| Gouveneur #4 Mine & #3 Mill | Wollastonite | — | Plant | 44.126, -75.379 |
Fossil collections
The Paleobiology Database lists 58 fossil collection records in Lewis County. These are research records, not public dig sites.
Nearby counties
Jefferson County · St. Lawrence County · Hamilton County · Herkimer County · Oneida County
New York mineral guides
- Quartz in New York
- Garnet in New York
- Mica in New York
- Feldspar in New York
- Magnetite in New York
- Pyrite in New York
Back to all New York 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