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Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA, GA Remains of Estelle Mining Co. RR Tunnels |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2014) |
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Crockford-Pigeon Mountain WMA, GA Remains of Estelle Mining Co. RR Tunnels |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2014) |
| Estelle Iron Mines In the early 1900s, 225 folks were employed here, and the community of Estelle had 150 homes, along with schools, a church, commercial buildings, etc. Little remains now but foundations and ore loading bins from the mine works and 6-7 narrow gauge railroad tunnels through the mountain ridges, some of which are now collapsed. Six of those tunnels are partially documented on this page. The Estelle Mining Company ceased operations in 1924. |
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| Northeast Tunnel: This is the longest tunnel, and the closest (just over 1/2 mile) to the Estelle village and mine processing facilities. I only photographed the western end of this tunnel. |
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| View back from the interior toward the south opening. |
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| Partial tunnel collapse - dome above, fallen debris below. |
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| Beyond the collapse area... |
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| I didn't have my underground lighting with me, so didn't go any further... |
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| A year later, after visiting The Pocket, I decided to explore the other tunnels. These are about 2 miles from the Estelle village and the above tunnel. I traveled from SW to NE, so I numbered the tunnels in that order. Due to the route I walked, I think I missed the most south-westerly tunnel, which is blocked on one end. The lighting was absolutely horrible for historic photography in the woods. Tunnel 1: This was originally a long tunnel but now has several collapsed sections. As mentioned above, I may have missed the actual first tunnel, because I thought the collapsed sections were all part of the same tunnel. |
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| Tunnel 1a Due to the collapses, there are a few short sections of tunnel here |
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| View from one of Tunnel 1a's openings |
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| Collapsed / caved-in section of Tunnel 1 |
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| Collapsed / caved-in section, view back the other way
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| One of the Tunnel 1b entrances |
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| Short (uncollapsed) section of Tunnel 1b |
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| Tunnel 1b |
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| Continuing northeast, I came to Tunnel 2: |
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| Tunnel 2 approach |
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| Tunnel 2 - western opening |
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| Tunnel 2 - view back towards the western entrance |
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| From middle of Tunnel 2 - view to eastern entrance |
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| Approaching eastern portal of Tunnel 2 |
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| View out eastern portal of Tunnel 2 |
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| Tunnel 2 - eastern portal |
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| Leaving eastern portal of Tunnel 2 |
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| Tunnel 3: |
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| Tunnel 3's west portal |
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| View of west portal from inside Tunnel 3 |
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| Tunnel 3 |
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| Tunnel 3 - I think the red bands are layers of iron ore. |
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| Tunnel 4: |
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| Tunnel 4 - west portal |
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| Tunnel 4 from the west end This tunnel and the next are the shortest tunnels. |
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| Tunnel 4 |
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| Tunnel 5: |
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| Tunnel 5 - partially slumped west portal |
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| Tunnel 5 |
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| Go to the Estelle Mining Processing Operations. |