Songo Pond Mine
PO Box 864
Bethel, ME 04217
207/824-3898

    The Songo Pond Mine, known prior to around 1990 as "Kimball's Ledge" was originally worked for feldspar  which was transported to West Paris and crushed at a mill there. Large beryl crystals (usually a blue/green color) up to 4 feet long were found in the Salmon colored feldspar. Several associated minerals, such as schorl, smokey quartz, mica, and garnet were known to come from the pegmatite vein.

    In 1992 the mine was purchased by Jan Brownstein and Alan Obler with the intent of mining for the blue Aquamarine found here. In Sept. 1992 the mine was reopened after a 3- year closure following the death of Chas. Bragg who suffered a fatal heart attack while working in the mine with Ron Larrabee, his protégée in mining. This is the same year the owner of the mine died. There are records indicating that the deposit was known for it's blue beryl as early as 1913, however work probably began in the 1950's when a market for feldspar allowed the owners  to work the mine profitably.

    Starting in the 2004 season, I began cutting the granite "country rock" for posts, steps, walls and other uses in landscaping and construction. Several local masons have been using our unfinished rock for many years. Visitors will see the granite being worked as well as regular mining. We use traditional drilling and splitting methods and newer technology using small (14") diamond cutting saws.
The mine is always closed during any blasting procedures and usually reopened after safety inspections are completed.

    Collectors continue to find gemmy green and blue Apatites, Smokey, Clear and Milky Quartz. Gem Beryl (but mostly non-gem) in blue to yellow and rarer minerals. Work continues in the old quarry and new work includes a large pit 100 feet from the original, plus new work more than 150 yards down the hill.

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