Calcite

Unknown Owner

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Neat multi-generation calcite specimen from this famous area. Groupings of colorless scalenohedral crystals to 1.2 cm in size are scattered across the top of a matrix mostly covered with lustrous brown crystallized calcite. In good condition with minimal micro-damage present. For the most part these were collected during coal mining operations in the 1960s. From the writing on the back of the piece it appears that this was collected by Bernie Murowchick. Coal mining in Marion County, Iowa developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of the broader coal fields of south central Iowa. Underground shaft mines worked Pennsylvanian age coal seams that supplied fuel for railroads, local industries, and home heating, and small mining towns grew near operations around communities such as Knoxville and surrounding areas. Production was carried out by room and pillar methods, and the county became one of the more active coal producing areas in the state during its peak years. As demand shifted and larger western coal fields became more competitive, mining declined by the mid 20th century, leaving behind historic sites and reclaimed mine lands.