Abandoned Mines Discussion Forum

MinerDan

Here is a great image I just acquired of the Buckwheat pit in Franklin, NJ.

This was where zinc mining began in Franklin, the dark area you see on the right was an underground portion which lead to deeper levels. On the left out of view is the Buckwheat tunnel, which lead to the now famed Buckwheat pit, a mineral collecting ground that is part of the Franklin Mineral Museum.

This photo is from the turn of the century, enjoy Smile

MinerDan · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 12:53 pm Post subject:

Here is a photo taken from the same vantage point a few years ago:

The Privy Man · Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:06 pm Post subject:

Looks like a good place to do some diving!

tick · Miner Joined: 05 Feb 2009 Posts: 55 Location: Roanoke, VA

That's pretty cool - I like the then & now photos.

miner bob · Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2009 3:29 pm Post subject:

That platform at the bottom left of the photograph has two ore cars on it, looks like there is an adit there also.

lessthanchris1 · Posted: Wed May 13, 2009 8:25 pm Post subject:

insane, i don't even recognize it!

MinerDan · Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:28 pm Post subject:

Just updating this thread with a few more vintage photos of the Buckwheat pit: the first shows the Taylor Mine section of the pit. This area ran underground for hundreds of feet. Later on it was completely quarried away.

The second is the buckwheat put. The Taylor mine is still visibile as a little shack in the background. the hole in the foreground was called the glory hole, and was the earliest mined area of the buckwheat pit. On the left and out of sight was the Buckwheat tunnel, which today drains the buckwheat pit and the Palmer and Parker shafts into the Wallkill River.

An aerial tramway is visible with bucket as well. A business man and his children are walking casually near the glory hole.

PitchBlack · Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:32 pm Post subject:

Awesome!! I like the father with two children in the pit!

Interessing to see underground portal and opening inside the pit, any picture inside these holes?

MinerDan · Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 5:33 pm Post subject:

I do have a photo from inside the hole looking out. I will post it!

Jude · Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2010 11:25 pm Post subject:

Wow, what a nice looking lake now haha, did that fill from just ground water? How deep then, 150 feet? Beautiful looking area though.

MinerDan · Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2010 10:16 am Post subject:

The Franklin Mine Zinc ore vein was over 900 feet deep in the 50's when it was abandoned. Now the water level is actually maintained by this pit which has a drainage tunnel pouring it all out into the Wallkill river.

Sterling Hill Zinc mine in Ogdensburg was allot deeper, the mine being around 2700-2800 feet deep.

I think the lake is probably only between 5-20 feet deep depending on where you are. I know the owners and was given permission to roam around the property a few times. they now go boating on this lake.

millside · Mucker Joined: 01 Feb 2010 Posts: 6 Location: vernon ,nj

very interesting photos, being I drive past there everyday this sheds a little more light as to what went on there.
question- in the photo marked taylor mine- there is a ladder half way up the cliff. any idea what that was for. did it just link up what appears to be two more tunnels.

MinerDan · Posted: Fri Feb 12, 2010 3:35 pm Post subject:

It looks like there is a water pipe going into that upper tunnel. And there is an adit at the bottom (#2). I guess the ladder permitted one to climb up or down to that upper tunnel. That entire face was quarried away and filled in. Nothing left.