Minnesota mining history Digging into MN Minerals ...
Iron Ore. The first ore shipped from the Vermilion Range was in 1884, the Mesabi Range in 1892, and the Cuyuna Range in 1911. The mines were operated through the hard work of the miners. They used shovels and pickaxes to take the ore out of the rock. Horses and mules hauled the ore out of the mine.