Hematite

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A stalactitic iridescent grouping of hematite. Minimal damage present.The Michigan Iron Range comprises three distinct geographic and geological districts across the Upper Peninsula: the Marquette Range, the Menominee Range, and the Gogebic Range. Geologically, these ranges are hosted within Paleoproterozoic sedimentary sequences, where iron-rich strata known as banded iron-formations underwent extensive structural folding, faulting, and secondary supergene enrichment, transforming into massive deposits of high-grade hematite and magnetite ore. Commercial extraction began on the Marquette Range near Negaunee in 1847 following initial surveys by William A. Burt, expanding to the Menominee Range in 1877 and the Gogebic Range in 1884. These districts collectively transformed Michigan into the leading iron producer in the United States during the late nineteenth century, transitioning from early open pits to deep underground operations. While structural complexities, depletion of high-grade direct-shipping ores, and competition led to the closure of almost all underground mines by the late twentieth century, large-scale open-pit mining and pelletized taconite processing continue on the Marquette Range into the 2020s.