Editing Sparta, New Jersey (section)

====Zinc====
In 1848 the [[New Jersey Zinc Company]] began operations at Sterling Hill. Earlier attempts to obtain iron from the mineral rich ore of the Sterling Hill failed because of manganese contamination, but zinc was recoverable and the ores at Sterling Hill were rich with it.<ref name=NYT1992>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/10/08/nyregion/zinc-mine-showcases-a-disappearing-world.html "Zinc Mine Showcases a Disappearing World"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', October 8, 1992. Accessed October 8, 2015. "In 1848, the process to extract zinc from ore was developed there.The mine was owned by the New Jersey Zinc Company, a subsidiary of Horshead Industries of New York City, until it shut for financial reasons in 1986."</ref>

In 1856 the Passaic Zinc Company started operations at the [[Sterling Hill Mine]] and constructed large ore crushers, shipping the ores to the company's plant in [[Jersey City, New Jersey|Jersey City]].

By 1868, both iron and zinc operations were in progress at Sterling Hill, but the numerous companies and claims were embroiled in continuous legal battles, the largest of which was a 12-year dispute between the [[New Jersey Zinc Company]] and the Franklin Iron Company over rights to mixed ores, each company having purchased the right to mine zinc and iron, respectively. In 1880, the Franklin Iron Company acquired the New Jersey Zinc Company's operations at Sterling Hill mine, ending the dispute. Large scale operations began in 1897 when the claims were consolidated under the New Jersey Zinc Company and by 1900 its mill was processing 1,500 tons of ore daily.

Zinc operations continued until 1986 when the Sterling Hill mine ceased operation. The Sterling Hill mine site is currently occupied by the [[Sterling Hill Mining Museum]] and is open to the public for tours.<ref name=NYT1992/>