Just off the Ohio Scenic Byway is the American Fluorite Museum. A brochure about this neat museum, tucked into the small town with the whimsical name of Rosiclare, boasts the Southern Illinois-Western Kentucky Fluorite District was once “the largest fluorspar mining area in the United States.”

Fluorspar, a visitor soon learns, is the industrial name for fluorite. A 1936 article posted on the wall of the museum – located in the former office building of the Rosiclare Lead and Fluorspar Mining Co. – puts the importance of this industry in the area into perspective. The article is from the Evansville Press and the headline reads, “Largest mines on Earth where valuable industry is.”

According to Brenda Birch, part of the museum team, “They had to chisel pieces out of the rock. They mined outside of town; now, there is a quarry mine that is aboveground. They no longer mine underground anymore because China is selling fluorite cheaper than we can mine it.”

This story is the same for mining towns everywhere: When a cheaper form comes along, mines shut down and, as Birch said, “a lot of people were out of work.”

Fluorite has a rich history in southern Illinois. While many were farming the soil, others were toiling in the mine to bring fluorite – which happens to be the Illinois state mineral – to the surface.
“The mines began back in the 1800s,” Birch said, adding that her father was killed in a mine – a tragedy that links her both emotionally and economically with the mineral’s past.
At the museum, there are beautiful specimens of this gleaming mineral, which has a variety of uses.

Fluorite is CaF2, a composite of calcium fluoride. Fluorite has been used as a flux in steel production, as a gemstone and a source of fluorine, just to name a few.

“It was also used to make glass, aluminum and to make hydrofluoric acid, ceramic products and is a primary source of fluoride for medical and industrial uses,” Birch explained. “It was also useful in manufacturing refrigerated gases.” Information at the museum even linked it with nuclear fuel.

This museum profiles wonderful examples of this beautiful mineral and the history of mining on the southern Illinois region. For those rock hounds who like to look for gems, there is even a rock pile out front that visitors can use a shovel to search through. Samples of fluorite are available to purchase in the gift shop for those not lucky enough to find it among the rocks.

One admirer, Kevin Conroy, shares a bit about how he, as a mineral collector, feels about the museum on his website, www.KCminerals.com

“If you’re a fan of fluorite, or for that matter, fantastic mineral specimens, you should really make a point of stopping in and seeing this museum,” he said.

Many of the wonderful specimens in the museum have come from individual collections. “John Schutt was a miner that was killed in our mine,” Birch said; she went on to explain that a couple who had the collection of his gems decided to donate it to the museum.
Seeing the glittering gems is the only way to get an idea of their iridescent beauty. Fluorite has the reputation of being the most colorful gem in the world; colors rival amethyst, and also come in green, blue, clear brown, pink, black and reddish orange. Fluorite can also be … well, fluorescent.

Visiting the museum is a great way to learn more about this mineral. Many flock to Rosiclare to attend the Fluorspar Festival, which has become a Hardin County tradition.

The website www.hardincountyil.org/ festivals explained it has been ongoing since 1965 and is held to celebrate the influences brought to the area by the Fluorspar Mining Co.:

“Located on the banks of the Ohio River, Rosiclare (once known as the ‘Fluorspar Capital’) has a colorful history that revolved around this mineral.

“Each year, the Festival highlights and brings back memories of days gone by. Held on the first weekend in October in downtown Rosiclare, the Festival features an ever-growing list of activities and things to do.”

While the festival has already passed this year, a visitor can certainly still visit the museum – but they’d better hurry because it is only open on a seasonal basis, from May-October. Hours are Thursday 1-4 p.m., Friday 1-4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Sunday 1-4 p.m. and tours are available by special appointment. Call 618-285-3513 for information.

Admission to the museum is $3 for adults and $1 for children ages 6-12 and, according to Conroy, “well worth every penny.”

Readers with questions or comments for Cindy Ladage may write to her in care of this publication.