Sparta Books to host signing of book about local mines

  SPARTA-Sparta Books will host a book signing for Carrie Papa, the author of A Mile Deep and Black as Pitch, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 2. A Mile Deep and Black as Pitch is a record of the nearby Franklin (known as The Model Mining Town of America) and Ogdensburg (Sterling Hill) mines, including the mines and miners, life in these communities and the corporate life of the New Jersey Zinc Company. The demise of the mines and efforts to preserve the legacy of the mines are also included in this oral history. The Franklin and Sterling Hill mines are known internationally to geologists, mining historians and mineral collectors for the quality, diversity and complexity of their zinc ore and more than 300 species of minerals. This wealth of minerals is more than any other single deposit known and includes more than 30 species that are not found anywhere else in the world. Papa is a native of Franklin, and her father, Paul Moore, was a Franklin Mine miner. She holds a History degree from Rutgers University and has earned awards from the New Jersey Historical Society and the National Association for State and Local History. She lives, studies and writes in Bridgewater. Sparta Books is especially supportive of local authors and welcomes inquiries from area authors. The store is located at 41 Theatre Center (Route 181) in Sparta.