Manganese (chemical symbol: Mn) ore was discovered in the vicinity of Bromide in 1890. A report published by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stated that the ore deposits were small and could not yield high grade ore (more than 45 percent Mn). However, during World War I, steel producers began accepting ores as low as 35 percent Mn. The USGS report said that about 5,000 tons of ore containing 35 to 40 percent Mn could be produced from the Bromide area deposits. Oilman Robert Galbreath evidently thought this could become sufficiently profitable to be a worthwhile investment. However, the Great Depression put an end to the concept.