427The Mineral Industry of Minnesota 
 
This chapter has been prepared under a cooperative agreement between the
Bureau of Mines, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Minnesota Geological
Survey for collecting information on all minerals except fuels. 
 
 
By Keith S. Olson1 
 
 
 Mineral production in Minnesota in 1967 was valued at $523.3 million, a

5-percent decrease from that of 1966. Chief reason for the decline was a
6-percent drop in value of iron ore shipments. Despite this decrease, Minnesota
continued to lead the Nation in shipments of usable iron ore contributing
60 percent of the total shipped from mines in the United States. Iron-bearing
ores (including manganiferous ores) accounted for 90 percent of the value
of minerals produced in the State. Shipments of taconite concentrates were
23.9 million long tons, exceeding the previous record set in 1966 by 11 percent.
Quantity and value increases were re 
corded for production of clays (including fire clay), peat, lime, and sand
and gravel. Quantity and value decreases occurred in production of portland
cement, iron ore, manganiferous ore, and stone. Production of abrasive stone
and masonry cement decreased in quantity, but increased in value. 
 Mineral production was recorded from every county in the State. Because
of its large-scale iron ore operations, St. Louis County accounted for 77
percent of the State total mineral value while Itasca County ranked second,
contributing 13 percent. 
 1 Industry economist, Bureau of Mines, Minneapolis, Minn. 
 
Table 1.—Mineral production in Minnesota 1 
1966 
Mineral — 
 Quantity Value 
 (thousands) 
 
 
1967 
- 
 
 
 
 
Quantity 
 Value cthousands) 
Clays 2 thousand short tons 
Iron ore (usable) thousand long tons, gross weighL - 
Manganiferous ore (5 to 35 percent Mn) 
 224 
55,133 
 $336 
499,388 
 228 
49,457 
 $342 
468,623 
 short tons, gross weight -Peat short tons~Sand and gravel thousand short
tons - 
275,581 
11,366 
39,331 
 W 
 197 
28,972 
236,753 
13,968 
41,212 
 W 
 257 
33,132 
Stone do~~ 
Value of items that cannot be disclosed: Abrasive stone, 
4,901 
11,688 
4,160 
11,442 
cement, fire clay, gem stones, lime, and values indicated 
 
 
 
 
bysymboiW                                 
XX 
9,696 
XX 
9,530 
Total                                   Tota11957—S9constantdollars
                
XX 
XX 
550,277 
484,876 
XX 
XX 
523,326 
P449,917 
 i Preliminary. W Withheld to avoid disclosing individual company confidential
data; included with "Value of items that cannot be disclosed." XX Not applicable.

 1 Production as measured by mine shipments, sales, or marketable production
(including consumption by producers). 
 2 Excludes fire clay included with "Value of items that cannot be disclosed."