Foote Lithium Co. Mine

The Foote Lithium Co. Mine is nestled in Kings Mountain, a small city in Cleveland County, North Carolina, roughly 35 miles west of Charlotte and near the South Carolina border. This location is part of the Kings Mountain Mining District, historically significant for minerals like gold, lithium, and mica, with nearby sites including the Kings Mountain Mica Mine and Bessemer City operations. The mine is renowned for its lithium, extracted mainly from spodumene, but it boasts an impressive array of over 160 valid minerals, with 16 being type localities—meaning they were first discovered here. Notable among these are fairfieldite and parsettensite, making it a hotspot for mineral collectors.

Geologically, the mine is characterized by granite pegmatites, part of the Carolina tin-spodumene belt. These coarse-grained igneous rocks formed from the last fraction of magma to solidify, leading to large, beautiful crystals rich in lithium and other elements. Mining began in 1938 under the Foote Mineral Company, playing a crucial role during World War II by producing spodumene concentrate. It continued operations post-war until closing in 1996 due to economic challenges, passing through various owners like Chemetall GmbH and Rockwood Lithium, before Albemarle Corporation took over. Currently, Albemarle is planning to resume mining, aiming to bolster domestic lithium supply for electric vehicle batteries.

Kings Mountain's culture is deeply rooted in its history, named after the 1780 Battle of Kings Mountain, a turning point in the American Revolution. The city features museums and theaters, like the Kings Mountain Historical Museum (Kings Mountain Historical Museum), that bring this history to life, alongside a charming downtown with shops and restaurants. The climate is humid subtropical, with hot, muggy summers and cold, wet winters, fitting the Piedmont region's diverse ecology, which includes forests, rivers, and lakes, though not directly linked to the mine's mineral formation.