Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania is a hamlet
in Bart Township
, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
, USA.
The nickel
mines that give the town its name were worked in a deposit of sulfide
ore, principally millerite
. The mines were originally opened in the early 18th century for copper
, but were given up as unproductive. In 1849, the Gap Mining Company attempted to work the mines for copper, again unsuccessfully, but discovered the presence of nickel in late 1852 or early 1853. (The ore had heretofore been misidentified as iron sulfide
). Gap Mining then worked the mines for nickel until 1860, when they were closed as unprofitable. They sold out to Joseph Wharton
in late 1862. Between 1862 and 1893, 4.5 million pounds of nickel were extracted from the site, up to 25% of world production in some years. Wharton refined the nickel in Camden, New Jersey
, and was the first industrial producer of malleable nickel. He was influential in persuading the United States Mint
to issue the first five-cent nickel coins
in 1866, using nickel produced from his mines. It is also a highly Amish
community.
An Episcopal Church was built in 1857, to serve the mining community then existing. In 1883, the town consisted of the superintendent's mansion, 23 miners' homes, a store and dwelling, and five outbuildings.
The mine closed in 1893, due to competition from the new nickel mines in Sudbury, Ontario
, Canada
. No trace of the mines remains today, except for a few waste dumps. The area is now entirely agricultural.
The area's zip code
is 17562, and area code is 717.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
in Bart Township
Bart Township, Pennsylvania
Bart Township is a township in southeastern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. At the 2000 Census the population was 3,003.-Founding:The name of Bart Township apparently comes from a reinterpretation of the abbreviation "Bart." for "Baronet"...
, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
, USA.
The nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
mines that give the town its name were worked in a deposit of sulfide
Sulfide
A sulfide is an anion of sulfur in its lowest oxidation state of 2-. Sulfide is also a slightly archaic term for thioethers, a common type of organosulfur compound that are well known for their bad odors.- Properties :...
ore, principally millerite
Millerite
Millerite is a nickel sulfide mineral, NiS. It is brassy in colour and has an acicular habit, often forming radiating masses and furry aggregates...
. The mines were originally opened in the early 18th century for 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...
, but were given up as unproductive. In 1849, the Gap Mining Company attempted to work the mines for copper, again unsuccessfully, but discovered the presence of nickel in late 1852 or early 1853. (The ore had heretofore been misidentified as 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:...
). Gap Mining then worked the mines for nickel until 1860, when they were closed as unprofitable. They sold out to Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton was a prominent Philadelphia merchant, industrialist and philanthropist, who was involved in mining, manufacturing and education...
in late 1862. Between 1862 and 1893, 4.5 million pounds of nickel were extracted from the site, up to 25% of world production in some years. Wharton refined the nickel in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, and was the first industrial producer of malleable nickel. He was influential in persuading the United States Mint
United States Mint
The United States Mint primarily produces circulating coinage for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The Mint was created by Congress with the Coinage Act of 1792, and placed within the Department of State...
to issue the first five-cent nickel coins
Nickel (United States coin)
The nickel is a five-cent coin, representing a unit of currency equaling five hundredths of one United States dollar. A later-produced Canadian nickel five-cent coin was also called by the same name....
in 1866, using nickel produced from his mines. It is also a highly Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community.
An Episcopal Church was built in 1857, to serve the mining community then existing. In 1883, the town consisted of the superintendent's mansion, 23 miners' homes, a store and dwelling, and five outbuildings.
The mine closed in 1893, due to competition from the new nickel mines in Sudbury, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. No trace of the mines remains today, except for a few waste dumps. The area is now entirely agricultural.
The area's zip code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
is 17562, and area code is 717.