Buckwheat Pit (Southwest Opening; Buckwheat Mine), Franklin, Franklin Mining District, Sussex Co., New Jersey, USA

ANY RECOMMENDED CHANGES TO THIS FILE SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO CHET LEMANSKI VIA THE MESSAGE BOARD. The Buckwheat workings started as the Buckwheat Mine and the Southwest Opening, both at the southern end of the Franklin orebody. Subsequently, that portion of the orebody, at the shallow end where the two limbs of the orebody curved around and, vertically, form a "spoon" shaped basin, was excavated as the Buckwheat Pit. This later major working obliterated the two prior workings in total. The Buckwheat Pit incorporated areas intruded by pegmatites and featured major, vertical camptonite igneous dike intrusive bodies plus a veinlike body of vuggy dolomite (the Buckwheat Dolomite) of apparent Paleozoic age. All of these geological features contributed to the diverse mineralogy of this locality. This locality is within the Franklin Mining District. The complete list of mineral species occurring within this district, as well as the official boundaries of the district, can be found under the locality file for "Franklin Mining District." Those who share an interest in the unique mineralogy of the Franklin, NJ, area owe a special debt of thanks to the late Professor Charles Palache, Harvard University; Dr. Pete J. Dunn, Department of Mineral Sciences, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.; and John L. Baum, Curator Emeritus, Franklin Mineral Museum, and former Head Geologist, New Jersey, Zinc Co., Franklin, NJ, for their significant contributions to the body of knowledge of the history, geology and mineralogy of this district. Key bibliographical publications for the Franklin District include, but are not limited to: Bayley, W.S.(1910): Iron mines and mining in New Jersey, Geological Survey of New Jersey, Volume VII of the Final Report Series of the State Geologist, Trenton, NJ 512pp. and 2 maps (out of print) [cited as: Bayley,W.S.(1910):XX] Dunn, P.J.(1995): Franklin and Sterling Hill New Jersey: the world's most magnificent mineral deposits, 5 parts + 2 supplementals, 978 pp. (in print)[cited as: Dunn,P.J.:Pt X:XX] Palache, C.(1935): The Minerals of Franklin and Sterling Hill, Sussex County, New Jersey, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 180, 135pp., with map (reprinted in 1937, 1961 and 1974)(out of print) [cited as: Palache, C.(1935):XX] Proceedings Volume: Lehigh University Department of Geological Scienes and the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society Symposium on Character and Origin of the Franklin-Sterling Hill orebodies (1990), Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA, 118pp. (out of print) The Picking Table, Journal of the Franklin-Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society (F.O.M.S.), volumes 1 through 42 (in print) NOTE: A comprehensive bibliography of the publications relevent to the Franklin District is found in Dunn,P.J.(1995):Pt1.
In addition to the major bibliographical publications listed under the Franklin Mining District main file, the item published by Peters, et al (1983), Minerals of the Buckwheat dolomite, Franklin, New Jersey (Min. Record:14:183-194) is significant for this locality.