The Republic Steel buildings overlooking Lyon Mountain village. These serve as a reminder of the iron ore mining days in Lyon Mountain, which began in earnest in the 1870s. What was once the Chateaugay Ore and Iron Company was taken over by the Republic Steel Corporation in the 1930s. Lyon Mountain produced the best iron ore in the world. The ore was used in such famous structures as the Golden Gate, Brooklyn, and George Washington bridges. The mines remained in operation until 1967, when it became too expensive to mine the ore. (Reference:
Lyon Mountain: The Tragedy of a Mining Town, 2004, by Lawrence P. Gooley).