By OBBM Network Editorial Staff

Derived from an episode of The Buried Archive.

What if the ground beneath our feet holds secrets that have been hidden for centuries? The Mesabi Iron Range in Minnesota is a place where the earth has been dug up, blasted, and hauled away, revealing a complex geology that has fascinated scientists and miners alike. But what if the stories we’ve been told about the range’s history and geology are only part of the truth?

The Language of the Land

The word ‘drift’ is a term used by geologists to describe the loose material that sits on top of the bedrock across most of North America. But the word ‘drift’ has a second meaning, one that refers to the horizontal passage driven through rock in mining. This dual meaning is not just a coincidence – it reveals a deeper connection between the geology of the Mesabi Range and the people who have lived and worked there.

Uncovering the Past

The Mesabi Iron Range has a long history of mining, with the first iron deposits discovered in the late 19th century. But the range’s geology is complex, with soft ore that requires careful timbering to prevent collapse. The men who worked the mines knew the ground intimately, but their stories have been largely lost to history. As one miner noted, ‘A drift is a passage through a known thing, or in front, or overhead. Somewhere far up through the ore, and then up through the gravel and the clay and the boulders, the jackpine and the snow and the stars.’

A Different Perspective

Ignatius Donnelly, a former lieutenant governor of Minnesota, published a book in 1883 called ‘Ragnarok, The Age of Fire and Gravel’. In it, he argued that the earth had passed through the tail of a comet, causing widespread destruction and depositing the loose material that now sits on top of the bedrock. While his theory was later discredited, it reveals a different perspective on the geology of the Mesabi Range, one that challenges the dominant narrative of glacial drift.

‘The men who named the stuff were the geologists of the early 1800s, and they named it drift because they believed, sincerely and as a scientific proposition, that it had been drifted into place by an enormous flood,’ Donnelly wrote. This quote highlights the complex and often contradictory nature of scientific inquiry, where different theories and perspectives can coexist and even contradict one another.

Closing Synthesis

The Mesabi Iron Range is a place of mystery and complexity, where the geology and history are intertwined. By examining the language and terminology used by geologists and miners, we can gain a deeper understanding of the range’s secrets and uncover new perspectives on its history. The story of the Mesabi is one that continues to unfold, with new discoveries and insights waiting to be uncovered. The full episode of The Buried Archive is available on OBBM Network TV.

Watch The Buried Archive on OBBM Network TV: https://media.obbmnetwork.tv/embed/tv.html#series/the-buried-archive