The Hull iron range: 1801-1977

"IntroductionThe Hull iron range, comprising the Forsyth, Scott , Baldwin and Lawless properties (Fig. I), is in Gatineau Park, on the outskirt s o f the city of Hull , and about 6 miles (10 kilometres) northwest of the Federal Parliament Buildings.The deposits have been known many years and described numerous times, although the history has been treated lightly in former publications. Total ore shipments have been calculated at 122,700 long tons, of which over 80% were mined before 1900 and 74% in two brief periods: 1870-74 and 1880-82. It is surprising that the period 1870-74 has been overlooked by most authors and 1880-82 ignored altogether. More surprising, the essential data for these two periods are contained in manuscripts of the Robert Bell collection, which must have been available to officers of the Geological Survey o f Canada.The period 1801-1874 ha s already been covered by the writer in ""Pioneer mines”, but much information has come to light since publication. The present paper is therefore based o n new data and a fresh appraisal. However, little additional data were found for the early history (1801-1854) or for the legal cases involving A.H. Baldwin, and these parts were mainly summarized from the relevant sections of the above-mentioned publication.GeologyThe ore deposits are all situated somewhat below the middle of a graphitic, calcitic marble horizon, here folded into a northeast-plunging synform. The Forsyth, Scott and Baldwin deposits are on the south limb of the synform; the Lawless is on the north limb. The marble is underlain by three non-carbonate groups: biotite gneiss with interlayered quartzite (top), granite gneiss and skarn (middle), and biotite-garnet gneiss (bottom). Below these groups is a lower horizon of graphitic, calcitic marble. The whole sequence is Precambrian and has been subjected to high-grade (Grenvillian) metamorphism, but, in the north, is cut by an unmetamorphosed Cambro-Ordovician diabase dyke. For further information, the reader is referred to the summary by Baird."