Days 16 – 17: Hibbing, MN

Hibbing’s history is tied to iron mining, and the Hull Rust Mahoning Iron Mine here is the largest open pit iron ore mine in the world.  During peak production in the 1940’s, as much as one quarter of  the ore mined in the U.S. came from the Hull Rust pit.  The village of Hibbing was so close to the mine pit that all of the buildings in the north part of town were moved south  in 1918 in order to mine that area.  At present, the workers are laid off and there is no work going on at the mine pit. We visited the observation area overlooking the idle mine and the displays there.  There’s a monster truck with tires 10 1/2 feet in diameter, and it’s smaller than the currently used equipment.  Part of the pit is filled with water (spring-fed) that looks very green. 

We also visited the Greyhound Bus Museum. The story of the origin of the bus industry was especially interesting.  A man bought a Hupmobile dealership but could not sell a single car.  People wanted to ride in the Hupmobile but nobody bought one.  So he  offered rides from Hibbing to an adjacent town for 15 cents.  It was so successful that a larger vehicle was needed, and the first bus company which eventually became Greyhound was born.  George remembered Grandma Harper traveling on the Greyhound Scenic Cruiser to visit family members in Tampa.

 After a few days of chilly rainy weather, we really enjoyed the sunny pleasant weather here.  It was perfect for bicycling on the Mesabi Trail  from Hibbing to Chisholm and back.  Much  of the trail was bordered with wild flowers, a real contrast to the rust colored rock that was frequently visible.  We were surprised that we encountered so few people on the paved, well-maintained trail. After bicycling, we returned to our “campground” at Wal-Mart where we stayed because we couldn’t find a good RV park in Hibbing.  We’ve enjoyed our “paved site” here and the convenience for shopping.