Industrial Minerals and Metals of Illinois

Illinois hides a mineral kingdom beneath its cornfields and cities. This mid-century geological survey from the Illinois State Geological Survey maps the state's underground wealth in unprecedented detail. From the lead and zinc deposits of the upper Mississippi Valley to the coal seams that powered an industrial empire, Lamar documents every mineral worth extracting and explains the geological forces that created them. The economic pulse of the state thrums through these pages every quarry, every mine, every ore deposit connected to the railroads, steel mills, and manufacturing hubs that made Illinois a 20th-century powerhouse. For geologists, historians, and anyone curious about the physical foundations of American industry, this volume offers a precise portrait of the earth beneath a great state. It captures a moment when Illinois still mined its own wealth, before globalization shifted the calculus.