LIBBYS VERMICULITE

by Jeff Gruber, 10/20/2013

Reflecting on the history of Libby, Jeff quoted a logger who stated he had
discovered a way to make a small fortune in logging.
His answer: Start with a large fortune!
And such is the hindsight regarding the history of vermiculite mining in
Libby. In 1824 the demand for air conditioning was growing and thus
the need for improved insulation. Three of the best known insulators are
vermiculite, asbestos, and diatomaceous earth. Vermiculite was
called "feather gold" because it glittered like gold and was light as a feather.
A Mr Alley began marketing Libby MT vermiculite in 1916. Others
associated with it's promotion over time were, Hillis, Bolliard, Keith, Fisher
and Piezle.
Vermiculite comes from the French, meaning "to breed worms" because
when heated it unfurls and grows into worm shapes. A fascinating delight
for class field trips and others as Libby became known as the largest
vermiculite deposit in the world. One vein was noted as 100' wide and deep
by 1000' long.
In 1943 Celia Nolop, sister of Robert Nolop who died in WWII, recorded
being born in site of the vermiculite mountain, and taking a train ride
with a group of men who had attended a meeting in Libby and were very
excited about the vermiculite here.
It's uses were so broad and inclusive, not only for insulating anything from
homes to planes to submarines, but it was sound proof, fire proof and
lubricating. It was even used by the movie industry for simulating dust
storms, and for making light weight concrete - 18" = 1" of regular concrete.
It was a wondrous material that took a long time to evolve into knowledge
of it's contaminant - tremolite.