This is an educational textbook that explains the minerals that may be found in the mines of Illinois. The book begins by explaining the different parts of the Earth's structure and explains each layer stating what kinds of minerals are in each.

This book discusses the mineral and metal resources that come from Illinois. The term industrial minerals are used as a convenient group term for nonmetallic minerals that are not fuels. In Illinois, they include limestone, dolomite, clay, shale, silica sand and other sands, fluorspar, tripoli (amorphous silica), ganister, novaculite, sandstone, feldspar-bearing sands, barite, gypsum, anhydrite, brines, greensand, oil shale, marl, peat, humus, and tufa. The metallic minerals of Illinois are galena (lead ore), sphalerite (zinc ore), pyrite, and marcasite.