Logo Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA, GA
Remains of Estelle Mining Co.
All Text & Images:
Copyright (2014)

Estelle Iron Mines

In the early 1900s, 225 folks were employed here, and the community of Estelle had 150 homes,
along with schools, a church, commercial buildings, etc.   Little remains now but foundations and
ore loading bins from the mine works and 6 or 7 small gauge railroad tunnels through the mountain
ridges, several of which are now collapsed.   The Mining Company ceased operations in 1924.


Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Loading Bin 1


Mine_Piers_Bin
Piers leading to Ore Loading Bin


Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Loading Bin 1


Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Bin


Rock_fern
Rock-fern on concrete pier


Unknown_formation
Foundation for a track scale
The scale here would have measured the weight of the rail car payloads.
Thanks to John Stewart, from Hoover, AL, for the ID of this foundation!



Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Loading Bin 2


Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Loading Bin 2


Ore_Load_Bin
Ore Loading Bin 2 and Chute


Row_of_piers
Row of Piers-Footings leading up the hill


Unknown_structure
Unknown structures



There are a series of narrow-gauge railroad tunnels that were cut through the area's ridges.
I have visited six of them (counting multi-part collapsed tunnels as one tunnel).
I think there are more, but I turned around since I had other sites to visit...

Northeast Tunnel
This is the longest tunnel, and the closest to the Estelle village and processing facilities.


Tunnel_entrance
View back from the interior toward the south opening.


Tunnel_collapse
Partial tunnel collapse - dome above, fallen debris below..


Beyond_collapse
Beyond the collapse area...



Coming from the west, this is Tunnel 2:

Tunnel_2
Second tunnel's west opening


Tunnel_2
Tunnel 2 Interior



Tunnel 3 from the west end:

Tunnel_3_entrance
Tunnel 3's west opening


Tunnel_3_entrance
Western entrance from inside


Tunnel_3
Tunnel 3 - I think the red bands are layers of iron ore.



Tunnel 4 from the west end:

Tunnel_4




Tunnel 5 from the west end:

Tunnel_5



Tunnel_5




Heading back towards The Pocket, I checked out Tunnel 1.
This was originally a long tunnel but now has many collapsed sections:


Rock_surfaces
Tunnel 1a (one of several sections)



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