The Tilly Foster Iron Mine, located in Brewster, NY, was in operation from 1790 to the early 1900s. Originally mined by blasting with powder and breaking up rock by hand, by the late 1880s, the overlying rock of the mine was stripped away and it became an open pit mine with miners using compressed-air drills to break rock. Many mineral specimens were discovered among the iron ore and tailings. The rocks in this region were full of cracks and fissures which allowed water carrying dissolved minerals to soak through them. Over many years, this process allowed crystals to form in the rock cavities. John N. Trainer Jr. (1877-1953), of New York City and Allview Avenue in Brewster, collected a large assortment of minerals that had been pulled from the former Tilly Foster iron ore mining operations and shared his collection with Harvard University, Yale University and the New York State Museum.
Scope of Collection
Presented here are a selection of exceptional specimens from the John N. Trainer Collection, currently on exhibit at Southeast Museum in Brewster, NY, on loan from the New York State Museum
Special Content:
For information about this digital collection, please contact Southeast Museum.
