After the Civil War, this area, like the rest of the South, was based on farming. This area was hit hard by the war. Small landowners farmed here, making only enough for their families to survive. With the technology available because of the Industrial Revolution, a pyrite mine was opened. The mine, the Cabin Branch Pyrite Mine, provided economic help to the area.

Pyrite was first discovered in 1889, near where Quantico Creek meets the South Fork Quantico Creek. It was important because much of the ore contained sulfur. Sulfur was needed to make gunpowder, glass, soap, bleach, textiles, paper, dye, medicine, sugar, rubber, starch and fertilizer.

Mining operations were limited from 1889 to 1908. In 1908, the Cabin Branch Mining Company was formed. In 1916, the mine was bought by the American Agricultural Chemical Company. When the United States entered World War I in 1918, the price of pyrite skyrocketed because of the demand for sulfur. It was needed to make gunpowder.

After the war, the price of pyrite dropped. Nationwide, in many industries, workers struck. While there was no union activity, workers at the Cabin Branch Mine struck in 1920. They were making $4.00 a day and demanded a 50 cent raise. The owner of the mine responded, “Before I will give you another penny, I will let the mine fill up with water and let the frogs jump in!” By this time, cheaper sources of sulfur were found overseas.

The mine was abandoned; some of the buildings stood until the 1930s. The mine provided additional income to local families. One worker recalled, “almost everyone worked at the mine until it closed.” Workers earned roughly $3.50 a day, though estimates vary. Some sources say workers earned as much as $4.25 a day. They worked two shifts, between 10 and 12 hours a day for six days a week. Children were hired to sort ore for 50 cents a day.

The men were divided into crews. Each crew was headed by a “blaster,” who was paid according to how far the crew dug each day. A blaster with a good crew would make a good salary. There were four other members of each crew. One was the “driller,” who made holes to place dynamite. “Muckers” loaded the ore onto wagons; “timbermen” put in roof supports. Unlike most mineshafts in Virginia, the three at Cabin Branch were supported by lumber. Lastly, the “powderman” carried the dynamite.

The mine was, interestingly, an integrated workplace, where Italian and Irish immigrants and African Americans worked side by side. Many workers were from nearby Batestown, a black community that emerged prior to the Civil War, and Hickory Ridge, an integrated neighborhood. The town of Dumfries was segregated.

There was also a company town, consisting of more than 70 buildings. There was a company store, machine shop, blacksmith, engine room and a small gauge railroad. When the railroad was not being used for mine operations, it took families, especially children, to the Potomac River to fish. Workers were paid partially in credits to the company store. There were also six black dormitories among the housing for employees.