Pennsylvania Chapter Friends of Mineralogy

The Friends of Mineralogy Pennsylvania Chapter is now a member of The Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies. All FM PA members are now automatically members of EFMLS.

The Pennsylvania Chapter of the Friends of Mineralogy has a new Facebook page thanks to the dedication and hard work of Andrew Rockhound. Check it out at FM PA Facebook Page

The Mines and Minerals of Bucks County, Pennsylvania, a recently published book by FM member Ron Sloto, provides a comprehensive description of the mining history and mineralogy of the county. It pulls together over 300 years of mining and mineral history under one cover. It is richly illustrated with 400 figures — old and new photographs, old maps, mine plans, and photographs of minerals from museum, university, and private collections. Many of the old photographs have never been published before. This book describes nearly 175 mines and mineral localities. It includes the known history of each mine and locality and a list of reported minerals. The locations are shown on a set of USGS topographic maps. Because many of the mines had several names over the course of their history, a comprehensive cross-index is provided. An extensive bibliography also is included.

Ninety-one different mineral species have been reported from Bucks County. Extensive coverage is provided for the two most prolific mineral localities in the county-the New Galena lead mines in New Britain Township and Vanartsdalen's quarry in Lower Southampton Township. Many of the past mineral industries in Bucks County, such as lime burning and production of paving blocks, are described.

Available from Amazon.com in paperback and hardcover

President's Message

by Interim President Bill Stephens, PG

After many years of faithful and effective service, immediate past President Joe Marchesani decided it was time for him to take a break from his leadership role at FM-PA. We wish him all the luck in his future endeavors. The Board members present at a recent meeting voted unanimously to install me as interim President until the official meeting at the annual symposium. I hit the ground running with the idea that we needed to get prepared for what will likely be a "Hybrid" Symposium, part in person and part Zoom, at a totally new facility. In our last in-person symposium, we had an issue develop with the availability of the venue we had at F&M for many years. Last year, with the COVID shutdown, we were forced to adapt and put on a symposium entirely remotely using Zoom; with the effective leadership of your Board of Directors, that symposium went off without a hitch. Now we are tasked with not only finding a new venue, but one where we can have in person and remote attendance for the Fall 2021 Symposium. Stay tuned!

The FM PA bylaws were updated to add online meetings and voting plus other minor changes. View our bylaws here

Check out the article on chevkinite-(Ce), a rare-earth titanosilicate from Northampton County, Pennsylvania by Robert C. Smith, II, and John H. Barnes in Pennsylvania Geology.

Chevkinite-(Ce)

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey's Pennsylvania Geology magazine is available online

Pennsylvania Geology