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The area was given its name soon after Ed Less discovered the Nonesuch vein of copper on the Little Iron River in 1865. [1] The name refers to the occurrence of the copper in sandstone: "nonesuch" ore existed elsewhere in the Copper Country. [2] The life of Nonesuch was relatively short. It saw its first mining in 1867 and its last in 1912. [3]
In the US, more copper is recovered and put back into service from recycled material than is derived from newly mined ore. Copper's recycle value is so great that premium-grade scrap normally has at least 95% of the value of primary metal from newly mined ore. [80] In Europe, about 50% of copper demand comes from recycling (as of 2016). [81]
The entire vein should be removed. Sometimes the tunnel eventually connects with a tunnel mouth in a hill side. Stringers and cross veins should be explored with cross tunnels or shafts when they occur. Agricola next describes that gold, silver, copper and mercury can be found as native metals, the others very rarely.
The low-grade copper ore could not be economically shipped to a smelter, and had to be concentrated at the site. The Cornelia Copper Company was organized by businessmen from St. Louis in 1900 to develop the property. However, early owners fumbled in their search for a suitable treatment process, and fell victim to "process men".
Copper-bearing quartz veins occur in greenstone schist along a narrow belt stretching four miles NNE-SSW from Keysville on the north to Virgilina on the North Carolina border. The Barnes mine is reported to have produced some copper in the early 18th century, but the major productive era for the district was the late 19th century to 1917.
The Old Copper Complex of the Western Great Lakes is the best known, and can be dated as far back as 9,500 years ago. [4] [1] Great Lakes natives of the Archaic period located 99% pure copper near Lake Superior, in veins touching the surface and in nuggets from gravel beds.
Mining began in 1848, and from 1855 through 1862, the Minesota was the most productive copper mine in the United States. [1] The mine had ten shafts, the deepest of which extended to a depth of 1200 feet (366 m). In 1856, miners tunneled into a 527-ton (478 mt) mass of native copper, the second-largest such mass found in the Copper Country.
Copperopolis developed into a family town containing a general store, livery stable, blacksmith shop, barber shop, boarding house, restaurant, and bunkhouses. During the first nine months of operation a quarter of a million dollars was uncovered from the mines. In 1901 copper export prices were cut in half due to the depression in Germany.