Mesabi, << muh SAH bih, >> Range is a chain of hills in northeastern Minnesota. The range was once one of the great iron ore mining regions of the world. Mesabi is an Indian word for hidden giant. Most of the range lies in St. Louis County, which is bordered on the southeast by Lake Superior. The range itself is from 60 to 75 miles (97 to 121 kilometers) northwest of the lake.
The Mesabi Range was first leased for mining in 1890 by Leonidas Merritt, three of his brothers, and three of his nephews. By 1896, 20 mines were producing nearly 3 million short tons (2.7 million metric tons) of ore a year. The ore was so near the surface that open-pit mining was used. Iron ore mining at Mesabi declined sharply during the 1900’s, but some low grade ore is still mined there.
