h .HOME INTRODUCTION PHOSPHATE FORMATION HISTORY MINING CHEMICAL PROCESSING FERTILIZERS ENVIRONMENT WORLD PRODUCTION ISSUES & SOLUTION QUICK  FACTS FUTURE

IN SEARCH OF THE BLACK GOLD! A scientist named Hennig Brand discovered phosphorus in 1669. He found it inside his own urine! Gross!!! Phosphate comes from bones and fossils of ancient animals.  When land came out of water after the ice-age bones and fossils became phosphate.  People started mining phosphate in England.  They mined it because they discovered that phosphate can be used for fertilizers. In England, phosphate mining started about 1850s.  In 1880, Dr. C.A. Simmons found some rock that had phosphate in Central Florida close to the city of Gainsville. he knew it had phosphate because he sent it to Washington D.C. for analysis. In 1883 dr. Simmons tried phosphate mining. But, it did not work out and he closed his mine soon after. However, people started reporting more phosphate around central Florida areas. At this time they could see specles of phosphate in the river bands and on top soil! In 1889 Albertus Vogt discovered huge deposits of phosphate  near Dunellon in Marion County. This started the Florida phosphate mining boom!  Mr. Vogt started the first mining company in Florida. He named it Marion Phosphate Company.  In 1886 John C. Jones and Captain W. R. McKee who enjoyed their Florida hunting trip, found phosphate around  Peace River between Fort Meade and Charlotte Harbor. This phosphate was not a rock. It was a pebble! They started the Peace River Phosphate Company. they did not mine the phosphate, but sold leand to people to mine on it! This was the first phosphate mining in the Bone Valley Area. The news spread of "Florida's Black Gold". Soon, thousands of people swarmed Flroida in search of their riches. It was like the gold rush in California. there were many prospectors looking to find their own mines. There were also thousands hoping to find a good job.By the end of century there were more than 215 mining companies in Florida! The price of Florida's land went from $1.25 an acre before the rush in  to more than $300 an acre in 1894.  Railroads were very important for mining. Miners could send phosphate to port of Jacksonville. From there they shipped it to Europe Unfortunately for many prospectors, the rush did not last! By 1900 there were only 50 mining companies left.The big problem was finding people to work. The mining companies built mining towns that had everything in them. They had houses, churches, schools, and doctors. The largest was Brewster near Mulberry. It had almost 3000 people. In 1950s companies abandoned their towns. But many still exist, like Pierce. After the Civil War, mine owners brought many African-Americans to work in mines. They paid the $1 dollar a day for 12 hours a day of work! It was still not enough, so state allowed mine owners to use prisoners and pay them only 40 cents a day for working 12 hours. They did this until 1924. Today, Florida produces 75% of the United States and 25% of world's phosphate. It has lots of land that still can be mined. Phosphate mining is slowly moving south where there are deposits that haven't been mined yet. Mining is done by huge companies. There are four phosphate companies in Florida:  IMC Phosphates Company, Cargill Fertilizer, Inc., PCS Phosphate – White Springs, and CF Industries, Inc.  In a few months IMC and Cargill will merge to form a new company. So from 215 to 3 main phosphate companies, Florida still remains one of the world's largest phosphate producers.