There is a little know attraction in Grafton, NH called Ruggles Mine.
It may not be very famous but every child who has been there will remember the trip forever! Ruggles Mine is a mica mine.
To geologists this area is known as the Littleton Formation, it is 300,000,000 years old!
Mica was discovered in 1803 by Sam Ruggles of Grafton. A "book" of mica as large as five feet in diameter has been found there.*
Mica is heat resistant and transparent. It was used in whale oil lamp chimneys, ships windows and stove fornts. Newer uses were cosmetics, cement block and asphalt roofing.Early electrical appliances such as toasters had mica in them. The mine was also a good source for Feldspar- used in glazes and also in nonabrasive scouring powder and glass cleaner. From 1932 to 1959 the Bon Ami Company extracted 10,000 tons of feldspar.
By the 1930's an estimated $12 million dollars worth of mica came out of Ruggles. By the 1960's the number had swelled to $30 million. But as is the way of the world....eventually other countries offered mica cheaper, the government eliminated subsidies and the demand became less.
In 1963 Ruggles Mine opened as a tourist attraction!
If you have children who love collecting rocks, or if you yourself are a rock hound you have got to make the trip. Bring boxes and buckets as well as hammers and spades because you are allowed to take anything you find. Your children will spend all day delighting in exploring the caves and anticipating finding treasure! 
**Those of you who have coveted mica when you were a child are familiar with the transparent layer upon layer-pages like a book!
Ruggles Mine, Grafton NH Admission: $20/adults $10/children
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Concord NH Realtor Area Information
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Joan Mirantz - Joni is a Realtor® with Keeler Family Realtors, a locally owned, Customer Service oriented Firm.
Joan Publishes a monthly Newsletter "Food For Thought" under the pen name Realtor Sherpa.
(Joan also answers to Miz Maven and Miss Joni.)
Joan works in Buyer and Seller Representation with concentrations in the Merrimack Valley Area and towns surrounding Concord NH - the Capital City.
"I love what I do, and it shows in how I do it"
Joan, I remember Mica from an old rocks and minerals collection I had. Now I know where it comes from. YOUR backyard.
Gary....I used to love the stuff. I found it fascinating!
Joan,
I would LOVE to go there....I'm still a rock hounce even after all of these years and could spend days hunting for that one or two or three or four special finds.
I remember mica when I was a child...it seemed so mystical and smooth and glossy.
Nice pictures! I certainly learned a lot of things I didn't know about mica and feldspar from reading this post. Thanks!
Jo
oops, I meant to say Rock Hound, not hounce...I must have been thinking 'pounce' and 'hound' at the same time...hmm, my brain is kind strange lately (no comments from the peanut gallery).
Jo
Joan, I've never heard of this, how cool. I'm going to tell my sister about the Grafton Mine, I know her sons would have a field day here!
Great information - boy does it bring back memories - my son loved to collect rocks. If I did not check his pockets before I did his laundry I would forever find rocks in the washing machine.
Wow! This would have been a fun day trip as a kid! I think most kids liked collecting rocks. I remember breaking open rocks with a hammer as a kid to expose the quartz (I think). I used to collect a rock on almost every trip to put in my aquarium.
Joni - you keep touching on childhood memories. I can remember going up there and thinking how massive the entrance seemed. But when you're only 3 feet tall ...
Mica is a fascinating composition. Sparkles like diamonds.
My brother and I used to try to imitate it by taking the scales of trout and layering them to see if it looked like mica. LOL
Jo...I had forgotten that was your avocation! It's one of those places you can just let the kids "do their thing"
Debbie...it is one of those places a lot of people haven't heard of...we used to live up that way!
Kathleen....what is it with boys and rocks? It never changes...a throw back to cave men?LOL
Rich...I bet you'd still like it! I think you're a kid at heart...
Oh jeeze Carol....only you would layer fish scales....LOL
Glad I brought back some good memories
Joni, What a cool place--I would take some home myself, I'll bet it's very pretty! Not to mention a nice momento of your trip there.
Hi Joni,
My little would love this, she picks up rocks everywhere we go. We were at the park recently and she was more interested in a boulder than in playing. Go figure!
Joni,
This is so cool! Every one of my nine grandkids would enjoy the day trip.
Mike in Tucson
Carole...I have a "thing" for mica. It really is transparent and very thin layers! So I brought home lotes of momentos.Alot of people are there looking for semi precious stones...tthose are there too!
Cynthia...you wouldn't be able to tear her away!!
Mike...it is truly "kid heaven" (kids of all ages)
This is so cool. I have forwarded to my daughter. Her husband collects rocks and I know he would love this. Thanks for posting about it.
That's terriffic Sharon...he will definately love it! And depending on which way they are coming from....there used to be a really good "rock" (quartz and all that) shop in Bristol. I'm not sure if it's still there.