Where does epsom salt come from?

[chique]

Grampa wanted to know so I [sub](you know, the one who’s always bragging up how cool “that computer thing” really is)[/sub] did a search and came up kinda dry.

I know it’s magnesium sulfate, so I figured it would come from magnesium mines…of which there mostly aren’t any as they usually pull magnesium from seawater. I also know there was an Epsom salt mine (run by the American Magnesium Co.) near China Lake which apparently had a nifty monorail system at one time. I know it was discovered near Epsom, England. I even know there’s an entire organization devoted to the promotion and use of Epsom salt.

To which grampa said, “Yeah, but where’s it come from?”

So?

[Squink]

From mineral galleries on the mineral Epsomite:

Epsomite, or heptahydrite as it is known in chemistry circles, is one of only a few water soluble sulfate minerals. It is actually well known in most households as the artificially created epsom salt.

The PQ corporation claims:

PQ is North America’s leading producer of magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts). We supply a range of crystal (heptahydrate) and liquid products from plants and warehouses across the United States and Canada.

The town of