Mons Andreas Petersen | |
---|---|
Born | April 6, 1829 |
Died | November 15, 1886 | (aged 57)
Other names | Mons Petter |
Mons Andreas Petersen, best known as Mons Petter (sometimes Mons Peter; April 6, 1829 – November 16, 1886), was a Norwegian Sami farmer that discovered ore deposits in Sulitjelma in 1858. [1]
Mons Petter was a Sami farmer from the Skognes farm in Lakså along the shore of Øvervatnet (English: Upper Lake) in what is now the municipality of Fauske—at that time the hundred of Skjerstad. [2] [3] [4] In the summers he used to haul timber out from the pine forests of the area around Langvatnet (English: Long Lake) about 32 kilometers (20 mi) to the southeast. He had noticed veins of rust in the mountains. [4] In 1858, he found ore there that he thought was gold. He took his find to the merchant Bernhard Koch in Venset, who determined that it was not gold based on its weight. [5] In fact, he had found chalcopyrite (a golden yellow copper ore) and pyrite (fool's gold). [1]
The discovery led to the establishment of Sulitjelma Mines ( Norwegian: Sulitjelma gruber), which began operations in 1891.
The Mons Petter Festival is held annually in Sulitjelma in late June to celebrate the area's mining history. [6] [7]
Mons Andreas Petersen | |
---|---|
Born | April 6, 1829 |
Died | November 15, 1886 | (aged 57)
Other names | Mons Petter |
Mons Andreas Petersen, best known as Mons Petter (sometimes Mons Peter; April 6, 1829 – November 16, 1886), was a Norwegian Sami farmer that discovered ore deposits in Sulitjelma in 1858. [1]
Mons Petter was a Sami farmer from the Skognes farm in Lakså along the shore of Øvervatnet (English: Upper Lake) in what is now the municipality of Fauske—at that time the hundred of Skjerstad. [2] [3] [4] In the summers he used to haul timber out from the pine forests of the area around Langvatnet (English: Long Lake) about 32 kilometers (20 mi) to the southeast. He had noticed veins of rust in the mountains. [4] In 1858, he found ore there that he thought was gold. He took his find to the merchant Bernhard Koch in Venset, who determined that it was not gold based on its weight. [5] In fact, he had found chalcopyrite (a golden yellow copper ore) and pyrite (fool's gold). [1]
The discovery led to the establishment of Sulitjelma Mines ( Norwegian: Sulitjelma gruber), which began operations in 1891.
The Mons Petter Festival is held annually in Sulitjelma in late June to celebrate the area's mining history. [6] [7]