Davis, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Davis, Massachusetts is the abandoned location of the Davis Pyrite Mine. Once the largest iron pyrite-mine in Massachusetts
, Davis grew to be a decent sized mining village at the beginnings of the Second Industrial Revolution
(1870-1915). But, in 1911, a non-fatal collapse of the mine due to “poor mining practices” ended the nearly 30-year run. By 1937, the mining camp had faded, and all that remained were a blacksmith shop and about 150 cellar holes.
The abandoned mining village is located in the Town of Rowe
, in Franklin County
, about three miles north of Charlemont
and two miles south-southeast
of Rowe
. The area is east of Davis Mine Road and west of Davis Mine Brook. Both Rowe (2000 pop - 351) and Charlemont (2000 pop - 1358) are picturesque small towns in the rolling hills of northwestern Massachusetts. Both communities have a long heritage. Rowe was established in 1762 and incorporated
in 1785, and Charlemont was established in 1742 and incorporated in 1765.
A good-sized mining camp developed at the site, which included a blacksmith
shop, butcher
shop, electric lighting
, and at least 150 homes. There were four mining
shafts
, and a period photo of Shaft #1 shows a large enclosed headframe (shafthouse) tram
and what appears to be a reduction works of some kind (smokestack and large building). It is said the mine produced about 100 tons of pyrite
a day, and the iron sulfide
was used to produce sulfuric acid
, a commercially important chemical. Charlemont claims to be the first electrified town in Massachusetts, so it is possible that power was then run to the mining camp. The miners are said to have earned $12–15 per day (that claim has not been verified), which in those days was excellent pay.
, the Davis mine had become a mainstay of Rowe’s economy. It was a lucrative source of iron pyrite. Popularly known as “Fool's Gold,” pyrite can be processed to yield substantial quantities of sulfide, which can in turn be used to manufacture sulfuric acid. (The mine also yielded smaller but, nevertheless, financially significant amounts of copper
.)
By 1875, Charlemont's industrial base was limited to several sawmills, two scythe
snathes (handles) shops and a chair making operation. With the opening and success of the Davis iron pyrite and talc
mine in Rowe in the 1880s, a prospecting craze developed in the area.
Mining operations were also opened in Charlemont during this period and included the Massachusetts Talc Company in the village of Zoar
. The merchants of Charlemont Center benefited greatly from this prospecting craze. Two shops opened in the early 1890s, which were important to the Town's economy for a number of years. In 1891, W.M. Pratt established a rake handle factory and the following year, H.H. Frary opened a carriage shop, which also produced wooden spools for the silk mills in Northampton.
During its 29-year working life, the Davis Mine pumped thousands of tax dollars into the town’s coffers, and became a local tourist attraction
as well. Visitors could climb an observation tower
above the main shaft for a panoramic view of the bustling operation, which featured on-site blacksmith and butcher shops, a steady traffic of horse-drawn ore and coal wagons and the town’s first electric lighting. The annual payroll amounted to $100,000, and local farmers made extra income supplying the mine with timber and firewood, while selling fruit, vegetables and dairy product
s to the workers.
However, the Davis Mine is a major study area as there are ecological concerns due to a pollution
plume
exuding from the old workings down into Davis Mine Creek. When the mine collapsed, groundwater
seeped into the old workings, and now flows out and downhill into the creek
. The University of Massachusetts
has used this as a study site. The remains of the Davis Mine are on private property (it is posted), so access is not available.
(AMD), occurring at abandoned mines, is a water problem characterized by low pH
and high levels of metals. An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
is studying why the AMD from the abandoned sulfide mine is slowly cleaning itself over time. The group brings together experts from the fields of microbiology
, geology
, engineering
, and science education
, to determine the extent and rate of bioremediation
.
According to professors in the study, the overflowing groundwater drains out of the old mine shafts, and flows down the stream channel. The drainage waters are more acidic than vinegar, with pH values around 2, and carry large loads of metals, including copper
, zinc
, and iron
. In other areas of the country, similar acid-mine drainage from former coal
or gold
mines can mobilize additional undesirable contaminants. Researchers stress, however, that there is no threat to the local environment or the area's water supply
, because the iron sulfide in the Davis mine contains few hazardous impurities. This makes the site an ideal subject for examining the natural processes that are contained in the drainage.
Researchers say their findings may enable quicker natural cleanups not just at the Davis mine, but at others throughout the country and the world. The project has received a $1.59-million grant from the "Biocomplexity in the Environment" program of the National Science Foundation
.
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, Davis grew to be a decent sized mining village at the beginnings of the Second Industrial Revolution
Second Industrial Revolution
The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of the larger Industrial Revolution corresponding to the latter half of the 19th century until World War I...
(1870-1915). But, in 1911, a non-fatal collapse of the mine due to “poor mining practices” ended the nearly 30-year run. By 1937, the mining camp had faded, and all that remained were a blacksmith shop and about 150 cellar holes.
Location
Davis is located at 42°41′52"N 72°52′13"W.The abandoned mining village is located in the Town of Rowe
Rowe, Massachusetts
Rowe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 351 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, in Franklin County
Franklin County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile...
, about three miles north of Charlemont
Charlemont
Charlemont is a small village in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 150 people in the 2001 Census. It is situated within the Armagh City and District Council area...
and two miles south-southeast
Boxing the compass
Boxing the compass is the action of naming all thirty-two points of the compass in clockwise order. Such names are formed by the initials of the cardinal directions and their intermediate ordinal directions, and are very handy to refer to a heading in a general or colloquial fashion, without...
of Rowe
Rowe, Massachusetts
Rowe is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 351 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. The area is east of Davis Mine Road and west of Davis Mine Brook. Both Rowe (2000 pop - 351) and Charlemont (2000 pop - 1358) are picturesque small towns in the rolling hills of northwestern Massachusetts. Both communities have a long heritage. Rowe was established in 1762 and incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
in 1785, and Charlemont was established in 1742 and incorporated in 1765.
Mining Camp Settlement
It was in the wooded hills between the two towns that an iron pyrite outcrop was discovered and a mine developed by H.J. Davis around 1882. The eastern section of Rowe, called Davis, became the center of activity because of the profitable operation of Davis Sulfur Ore Mine for twenty-nine years. The Davis Mine supplied a major economic boost to both Rowe and Charlemont.A good-sized mining camp developed at the site, which included a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
shop, butcher
Butcher
A butcher is a person who may slaughter animals, dress their flesh, sell their meat or any combination of these three tasks. They may prepare standard cuts of meat, poultry, fish and shellfish for sale in retail or wholesale food establishments...
shop, electric lighting
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
, and at least 150 homes. There were four mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
shafts
Ventilation shaft
In subterranean civil engineering, ventilation shafts, also known as airshafts or vent shafts, are vertical passages used in mines and tunnels to move fresh air underground, and to remove stale air....
, and a period photo of Shaft #1 shows a large enclosed headframe (shafthouse) tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
and what appears to be a reduction works of some kind (smokestack and large building). It is said the mine produced about 100 tons of pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
a day, and the iron sulfide
Iron sulfide
Iron sulfide or Iron sulphide refers to a chemical compound of iron and sulfur with a wide range of stoechiometric formulae and different crystalline structures.-Natural minerals:By increasing order of stability:...
was used to produce sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid
Sulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
, a commercially important chemical. Charlemont claims to be the first electrified town in Massachusetts, so it is possible that power was then run to the mining camp. The miners are said to have earned $12–15 per day (that claim has not been verified), which in those days was excellent pay.
Economic Impact
Until its 1911 cave-inCave-in
A cave-in is a collapse of a geologic formation, mine or structure which typically occurs during mining or tunneling. Geologic structures prone to cave-ins include alvar, tsingy and other limestone formations, but can also include lava tubes and a variety of other subsurface rock formations.In...
, the Davis mine had become a mainstay of Rowe’s economy. It was a lucrative source of iron pyrite. Popularly known as “Fool's Gold,” pyrite can be processed to yield substantial quantities of sulfide, which can in turn be used to manufacture sulfuric acid. (The mine also yielded smaller but, nevertheless, financially significant amounts of copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
.)
By 1875, Charlemont's industrial base was limited to several sawmills, two scythe
Scythe
A scythe is an agricultural hand tool for mowing grass, or reaping crops. It was largely replaced by horse-drawn and then tractor machinery, but is still used in some areas of Europe and Asia. The Grim Reaper is often depicted carrying or wielding a scythe...
snathes (handles) shops and a chair making operation. With the opening and success of the Davis iron pyrite and talc
Talc
Talc is a mineral composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical formula H2Mg34 or Mg3Si4O102. In loose form, it is the widely-used substance known as talcum powder. It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, its crystals being so rare as to be almost unknown...
mine in Rowe in the 1880s, a prospecting craze developed in the area.
Mining operations were also opened in Charlemont during this period and included the Massachusetts Talc Company in the village of Zoar
Zoar, Massachusetts
Zoar is a village within the town of Rowe in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States.-External links:* *...
. The merchants of Charlemont Center benefited greatly from this prospecting craze. Two shops opened in the early 1890s, which were important to the Town's economy for a number of years. In 1891, W.M. Pratt established a rake handle factory and the following year, H.H. Frary opened a carriage shop, which also produced wooden spools for the silk mills in Northampton.
During its 29-year working life, the Davis Mine pumped thousands of tax dollars into the town’s coffers, and became a local tourist attraction
Tourist attraction
A tourist attraction is a place of interest where tourists visit, typically for its inherent or exhibited cultural value, historical significance, natural or built beauty, or amusement opportunities....
as well. Visitors could climb an observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
above the main shaft for a panoramic view of the bustling operation, which featured on-site blacksmith and butcher shops, a steady traffic of horse-drawn ore and coal wagons and the town’s first electric lighting. The annual payroll amounted to $100,000, and local farmers made extra income supplying the mine with timber and firewood, while selling fruit, vegetables and dairy product
Dairy product
Dairy products are generally defined as foods produced from cow's or domestic buffalo's milk. They are usually high-energy-yielding food products. A production plant for such processing is called a dairy or a dairy factory. Raw milk for processing comes mainly from cows, and, to a lesser extent,...
s to the workers.
Today
Little remains of the camp today. The area has several cellar holes of defunct houses, and second-growth forest has staked its claim to much of the land along these unpaved backroads.However, the Davis Mine is a major study area as there are ecological concerns due to a pollution
Pollution
Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that causes instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem i.e. physical systems or living organisms. Pollution can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise, heat or light...
plume
Plume (hydrodynamics)
In hydrodynamics, a plume is a column of one fluid or gas moving through another. Several effects control the motion of the fluid, including momentum, diffusion, and buoyancy...
exuding from the old workings down into Davis Mine Creek. When the mine collapsed, groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
seeped into the old workings, and now flows out and downhill into the creek
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
. The University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
has used this as a study site. The remains of the Davis Mine are on private property (it is posted), so access is not available.
Pollution and Study
Acid mine drainageAcid mine drainage
Acid mine drainage , or acid rock drainage , refers to the outflow of acidic water from metal mines or coal mines. However, other areas where the earth has been disturbed may also contribute acid rock drainage to the environment...
(AMD), occurring at abandoned mines, is a water problem characterized by low pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
and high levels of metals. An interdisciplinary research team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
is studying why the AMD from the abandoned sulfide mine is slowly cleaning itself over time. The group brings together experts from the fields of microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
, geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
, engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, and science education
Science education
Science education is the field concerned with sharing science content and process with individuals not traditionally considered part of the scientific community. The target individuals may be children, college students, or adults within the general public. The field of science education comprises...
, to determine the extent and rate of bioremediation
Bioremediation
Bioremediation is the use of microorganism metabolism to remove pollutants. Technologies can be generally classified as in situ or ex situ. In situ bioremediation involves treating the contaminated material at the site, while ex situ involves the removal of the contaminated material to be treated...
.
According to professors in the study, the overflowing groundwater drains out of the old mine shafts, and flows down the stream channel. The drainage waters are more acidic than vinegar, with pH values around 2, and carry large loads of metals, including copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
, zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, and iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
. In other areas of the country, similar acid-mine drainage from former coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
or gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
mines can mobilize additional undesirable contaminants. Researchers stress, however, that there is no threat to the local environment or the area's water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
, because the iron sulfide in the Davis mine contains few hazardous impurities. This makes the site an ideal subject for examining the natural processes that are contained in the drainage.
Researchers say their findings may enable quicker natural cleanups not just at the Davis mine, but at others throughout the country and the world. The project has received a $1.59-million grant from the "Biocomplexity in the Environment" program of the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
.
External links
- Ancestry.com
- Ghosttowns.com
- Rowe, MA
- Charlemont, MA
- Bio-Medicine article, 2002
- UMass Magazine, Fall 2003
- C.L. Stauber: The Use of Local Carbon Sources in Encouraging Acid Mine Drainage Bioremediation
See also
- Ghost Towns of Massachusetts