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2008 annual meeting – Spruce Pine Mining District: Little Switzerland, North Carolina
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The mines were abandoned in the early 1960’s and allowed to fill up with water. Today
the old mines offer mute evidence to the fierce determination and work ethic of previous
generations of mountain people. Bob Schabilion of Flora, Mississippi, purchased the
property in 1979. Bob was well known for his preservation of the Mississippi Petrified
Forest, and later for developing Gem and Lapidary Wholesalers and their “cover the
country” schedule of annual wholesale gem shows.
One of his first actions was to blast a drainage ditch through solid rock to lower the water
level of the Bon Ami Mine by 14 feet, to make the mine accessible today. After draining
the mine, antique mining equipment was brought in and tracks were laid again. Historic
steam engines, ore cars, air compressors, drills, winches, elevators and other almost-lost
pieces of equipment were placed in the Bon Ami Mine. Over the years the Bon Ami mine
produced Feldspar for the Bon Ami Company. The well-known Bon Ami scouring
powder is made up of 94% feldspar and 6% soap.
By the mid-1920’s the Crabtree Railroad had been extended to within a couple of miles,
but could come no closer due to the steep mountainous terrain. In early days, ore was
carried by horse-drawn wagons to aerial tram-cars to be sent down the mountain to the
waiting railroad. The entire valley rang with the steady sound of drills, trucks, winches,
steam shovels, compressors and dynamite blasts. The combined work of hundreds of
men along with powerful hoists and steam shovels steadily ate into the mountain. The
process went on for decades. A few men made a lot of money but in truth most of the
workers barely survived. Some miners walked for miles just to get to work every day.
Gradually mining activity tapered off but sporadic mining continued into the early
1960’s.
At a mine dynamite blasts were generally set off at the end of the day, to let the air clear
and the dust settle overnight. In 1965, the “Big Boom” spelled the end of mining at the
Big Deal Mine, another one of the 7 mines. Already reduced to a small operation, all of
the mining equipment and trucks at this mine were buried by a misplaced huge dynamite
blast. One of the miners recalled, “At least a million tons of rock came down that night.”
Soon after that, the mines were abandoned and a quiet stillness settled over the region.
Now, 28 years after opening, Emerald Village has grown to major tourist attraction
status. Tens of thousands of visitors take the underground mine tour every year, and
many more thousands of school children visit on group outings. The important history of
this vital part of our mountain heritage is well-preserved and being shared with new
generations. New exhibits have been added and plans call for an evolution and expansion
of recreational and educational activities. A popular addition this year is the addition of
night-time “Black-Light” tours in the underground Bon Ami mine. Equipped with
shortwave ultraviolet lamps, visitors marvel at the vivid fluorescent colors of Hyalite
Opal and other minerals in the darkened ceiling and walls of the mine.
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