The Hamme district, North Carolina (fig. 1), is the only area in the Eastern United States with a history of tungsten mining. The district has been a major producer since World War II, and it contains the largest known classic example of wolframite-type quartz-vein deposits in the United States. In these deposits the wolframite-type mineral (here, huebnerite) is associated with fluorite and various sulfides in quartz veins cutting a plutonic granitic body. Tungsten was discovered in the Hamme district in 1942. Mining began in 1943 (Espenshade, 1947, p. 2-3) and was continued with slight interruption until 1963, when production was stopped because of declining tungsten prices. Mining was started again in 1970, but it was stopped in the fall of 1971 after a sharp drop in the price of tungsten. Total production has been about 1 million short ton units of W03.
By Jacob E. Gair. In black and white, 1977. Map approximately 44"x34".
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