Ice Mine and lost silver in Potter county
- Thread starter rugratt
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deepskyal
Bronze Member
- Aug 17, 2007
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I visited that ice mine...pretty neat. Was up there in late summer one year and the mine was full of ice. And it thaws in the winter... 
But you get the whole story about it from the guide. Not real spectacular...just a hole in the ground...but pretty neat none-the-less...worth a look-see. I'm pretty sure they would not let you detect there...but I bet there's a bunch of coins in the bottom of it too...or maybe they harvest the coins at an off season time and donate them...
Visit the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania while you're in the area. That' is an awesome view.
Al
But you get the whole story about it from the guide. Not real spectacular...just a hole in the ground...but pretty neat none-the-less...worth a look-see. I'm pretty sure they would not let you detect there...but I bet there's a bunch of coins in the bottom of it too...or maybe they harvest the coins at an off season time and donate them...
Visit the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania while you're in the area. That' is an awesome view.
Al
deepskyal
Bronze Member
- Aug 17, 2007
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- White's Coinmaster 6000 Di Series 3, Minelab Eq 600
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Jost1308 said:The Ice Mines are closed and tours are no longer given. Logging in the area has done damage to the mine from what I've heard.
No that just plain ole sucks!! That was truely a unique, one of a kind feature.
I hate loggers!
Al
Potter Poker
Full Member
I know the Ice Mine well, it's in Sweden Valley, Pa., 4 miles from Coudersport. I grew up with the owner's son and used to help him collect the money out of the ice pit during the summer months. The mine is now closed up, the building there that used to be the gift shop is now owned by a local retired vet who lives in the building. K ind of a recluse but very friendly. His place is supposed to be on the mountain where a Seneca Indian used to go and dig out hunks of silver and take it to the general store in Sweden Valley back around the mid 1800's to pay for food. That's the reason the "Ice Mine" got there in the first place, some miner found signs of silver and dug a big hole. Turned out he didn't find any, but during the summer months, when he would return to his dig, ice would build up on the sides of the pit. Thus the origin of the name. A few locals claimed they tried to follow that Seneca Indian but they always lost him in the woods. There has been some attempts to find some of that silver, and back in the 1980's there was an actual small gold mine operation around that area, but it has since been closed up, no actual "mine" into the hill, but a lot of stripping away of ground cover and rocks, as some locals have explained to me. I have always wanted to "poke around" on that hill near the Ice Mine, and have finally gotten permission from the guy that lives at the old Ice Mine site....Anyone know what to look for when looking for signs of silver I'm no geologist.......Potter Poker
ind of a recluse but very friendly. His place is supposed to be on the mountain where a Seneca Indian used to go and dig out hunks of silver and take it to the general store in Sweden Valley back around the mid 1800's to pay for food. That's the reason the "Ice Mine" got there in the first place, some miner found signs of silver and dug a big hole. Turned out he didn't find any, but during the summer months, when he would return to his dig, ice would build up on the sides of the pit. Thus the origin of the name. A few locals claimed they tried to follow that Seneca Indian but they always lost him in the woods. There has been some attempts to find some of that silver, and back in the 1980's there was an actual small gold mine operation around that area, but it has since been closed up, no actual "mine" into the hill, but a lot of stripping away of ground cover and rocks, as some locals have explained to me. I have always wanted to "poke around" on that hill near the Ice Mine, and have finally gotten permission from the guy that lives at the old Ice Mine site....Anyone know what to look for when looking for signs of silver I'm no geologist.......Potter Poker
RON (PA)
Silver Member
Poker, any luck at finding the mine...There is a legend of there being a silver mine outside of Tionesta, also. Same story (people trying to follow a Seneca Indian). I'm wondering if it is the same story or if there are two different mines. What do you think?
?
Potter Poker
Full Member
Ron, I havn't heard about the one in Tionesta, I don't think they are the same. The one in Sweden Valley is pretty specific to the area. PP
Sharryn
Jr. Member
- Nov 27, 2013
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- All Treasure Hunting
There is also an ice mine in Trough Creek State Park in Huntingdon County:
Ice Mine was probably a prospect hole for early iron miners. They did not discover iron ore, but did create a natural refrigerator. In the winter, cold air diffuses up into the loose rock of the hillside. In the spring and summer, cold air flows down the mountainside and into the ice mine. This causes melting snow water to refreeze when it hits the cold air in the mine. Humid summer air adds more ice until all of the cold air has left the hillside, usually by late summer.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...AipnCh9tzDWyV-STQ&sig2=gjKzZx7S9c4L6FlXqz-Tiw
Ice Mine was probably a prospect hole for early iron miners. They did not discover iron ore, but did create a natural refrigerator. In the winter, cold air diffuses up into the loose rock of the hillside. In the spring and summer, cold air flows down the mountainside and into the ice mine. This causes melting snow water to refreeze when it hits the cold air in the mine. Humid summer air adds more ice until all of the cold air has left the hillside, usually by late summer.
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...AipnCh9tzDWyV-STQ&sig2=gjKzZx7S9c4L6FlXqz-Tiw
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