This Is My New Jersey

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have watched the saga that is unfolding on Rt. 80 in Morris County. When my husband and I moved from Essex County to Morris County over 20 years ago, there were several life facts we needed to learn. I never appreciated the concepts of public water and public sewer because, well, I never heard of septic and well water. Propane for heat? I grew up with oil heat and my husband grew up with gas heat. And then there are abandoned mines.

Wait, what?

New Jersey’s Mining History

I quickly learned why “Richard Mine Road” and “Mine Hill” had those names. North Jersey is home to hundreds of abandoned mines, with some going back to prior to the American Revolution. And historical maps are not always accurate.

We were all reminded of New Jersey’s mining history the day after Christmas in 2024 when a 40-foot-deep sinkhole opened up on the shoulder of Rt. 80 in Wharton. Teams work around the clock to repair the sinkhole in order to reopen this major artery.

Unfortunately, the road re-opening was short-lived. A second depression was identified not far from the original sinkhole. Last week, the public learned of another void. Extensive testing is underway and as many as 135 “voids” have been identified.

Morris County is home to countless mines; the majority of which mined iron. Even the Rockaway Township logo has an anvil in its center and is home to over 35 mines alone. The large majority of mines in New Jersey mined for iron, and to a lesser extent, germanium, zinc, and manganese. One mine in New Jersey mined for uranium. Even gold was been found in quartz veins in northern New Jersey. The mines in Sussex County continues to hold a wide variety of minerals, including Franklinite, a zinc-iron-manganese oxide mineral that is found only in the mines of Franklin and Ogdensburg. Additionally, the Franklin-Sterling Hill mining area has more fluorescent minerals than anywhere else on Earth.

So while it is frustrating right now, New Jersey has a rich history of mining that predates the inception of America and helped build this country.

If you would like to learn more, I highly recommend a visit to the Franklin Mineral Museum in Franklin, Sussex County which opens for the season in April. You can actually try your hand at mining for your own minerals on specific dig days.

Maybe some of your finds can help fill the sinkholes on Rt. 80.