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Maine, USA
Deposits of rare-element-bearing and gem-bearing granite pegmatites are well-known in Oxford, Androscoggin, and Sagadahoc Counties in the southwest portion of the State. These pegmatites were formerly noted for ceramic-grade feldspar production along with beryl and sheet muscovite. There are many lithium- and cesium-enriched LCT pegmatites in the Oxford County and Androsoggin County Field. In Sagadahoc County, Li- or Cs-enriched LCT granite pegmatites are uncommon and there are some NYF pegmatites, present. Additional granite pegmatites occur in Cumberland County and scattered in other areas. Additional deposits include small generally low-grade lead-zinc-copper sulfide deposits along the coastal region with a few important sulfide deposits in the eastern part of the coastal region and several larger high-grade deposits in the north central part of the state ranging from Oxford, Franklin, Somerset, Piscataquis, and Aroostook Counties. Large low-grade manganese silicate deposits are present in Aroostook County. Granite quarries are widespread in the southern portion of the State including coastal regions. High grade slate is still quarried in the Monson District. Lime-grade marble is still quarried in the Thomaston District. Much of the State is composed of metamorphic and plutonic igneous rocks, with relatively few sedimentary rocks.
Maine towns and similar lands are all named. Formal local governments range from towns and cities with local jurisdiction to plantations and township which have State oversight. Many townships have numerical and acronym abbreviations. Surveying of townships occurred sporadically and grid systems were developed as "wild land" was offered for sale. The grids are township and ranges, abbreviated "T" and "R". Due to the historical need for surveyed land, townships were re-named as needed, each survey frequently having T1 R1 as the starting point, although a few townships were named alphabetically. Usually, townships were quickly organized and residents applied for local self-government and each town received a new name. Townships that did not have sufficient population to establish a local government remained unorganized. The resulting series of surveys left many pieces of land with similar township and range designations. Suffixes were developed to distinguish these otherwise duplicating designations. One of the wealthiest men in the USA, William Bingham, who was also an important financier of the American Revolution, invested a great deal of money in Maine lands, as did his brother-in-law, Alexander Baring. Because Bingham owned so much of Maine, about 11% at one time, the townships were coded according to their location. BPP indicated "Bingham's Penobscot Purchase", while BKP indicated "Bingham's Kennebec Purchase". Additional abbreviations, EKR and WKR, mean "East of the Kennebec River" and "West of the Kennebec River". As Bingham's lands were among the first in Maine to be surveyed into new townships, subsequent surveyors based their work on that of previous surveyors, designations such as WBKP or NBKP were used by Maine to indicate "West of Bingham's Kennebec Purchase" or "North of Bingham's Kennebec Purchase", while NBPP indicates "North of Bingham's Penobscot Purchase". Additional abbreviations include ED, MD, ND, and SD, signifying compass directions - East, North, South or "Middle" and "Division": used when there was a need to be more specific regarding a large tract of land with difficult to code townships. NWP signifies land "North of the Waldo Patent" - a piece of land owned by Revolutionary War General Samuel Waldo. A few townships remain from the Titcomb Survey and are designated TS. A few townships were grants to aid some cause, usually a school, Bowdoin College, Days Academy, etc., although canal grants were intended to help finance public works canal projects to improve commercial transportation. By far. most of the townships have the suffix WELS - "West of the Easterly Line of the State", which merely indicates the North-South surveyed border between Maine and New Brunswick.
Mindat Articles
Melting of Sedimentary Rock: A Key to Pegmatite Diversity in Maine by Douglas WattsPegmatites: How to Locate a New Mineral Rich Locality by Gary Powell
Mineral List
Mineral list contains entries from the region specified including sub-localities570 entries listed. 353 valid minerals. 9 type localities (valid minerals).
Localities in this Region
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References
Bastin, Edson Sunderland (1911) Geology of the pegmatites and associated rocks of Maine, including feldspar, quartz, mica, and gem deposits. USGS Bulletin 445.
King, V. and Foord, E. (1994), Mineralogy of Maine, Volume 1.
King, V. and Foord, E. (2000), Mineralogy of Maine, Volume 2.
King, V. (2009), Maine Feldspar, Families, and Feuds.
New detailed Mineralogy of Oxford County, Maine (in progress).
King, V. and Foord, E. (1994), Mineralogy of Maine, Volume 1.
King, V. and Foord, E. (2000), Mineralogy of Maine, Volume 2.
King, V. (2009), Maine Feldspar, Families, and Feuds.
New detailed Mineralogy of Oxford County, Maine (in progress).
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