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Zinc Miner.

Zinc Miner Statue

Field review by the editors.

Franklin, New Jersey

This northwest corner of New Jersey was a vital center for iron and zinc mining, known for its mineral wealth since the 1600s, and actively worked for nearly a century to extract high grade zinc ore. The Franklin Mineral Museum presents the region's mining history.

Near the entrance to the museum there is a bronze depiction of a pick-hefting zinc miner, an ethnically ambiguous every-guy representing the myriad men who worked in the Franklin and Sterling mines. He stands on a pile of rocks and wears a carbide lamp, used by workers at the NJ Zinc Company before 1940. Sculptor unknown.

There were 77 fatalities, most in the early years. Franklin mining operations ceased in 1954.

Zinc Miner Statue

Franklin Mineral Museum

Address:
32 Evans St., Franklin, NJ
Directions:
Franklin Mineral Museum. I-80 exit 53. North on US Hwy 23, through town of Stockholm. After intersection of CR 517, turn left onto Franklin Ave., right onto Buckwheat Rd, left onto Evans St.
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Nearby Offbeat Places

Mine Replica, Glow-in-the-Dark RocksMine Replica, Glow-in-the-Dark Rocks, Franklin, NJ - < 1 mi.
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In the region:
Frank Sinatra Birthplace Star, Hoboken, NJ - 38 mi.

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