I live on the Minnesota Iron range and worked in that industry for 35 years.
SSMagee is right to say there is magnetic influence from the ore but it is a very minor influence unless there is
Lodestone(natural magnet) nearby.
The early explorers carried large "Dipping Needle" compass to map out the boundary of an iron ore formation. There is Hematite (Non-magnetic) ore and Magnetite (Magnetic ore) here and the magnetite is very low grade and the most abundant.
We have a State Wide Program that started in the County I live in that provides compasses to all Firearms Safety Students;
Here
Quote:
Tennison Memorial
After their son's disappearance, Jim and Mary Tennison worked with the DNR to set up the Jamie Tennison Memorial Compass Fund. The fund buys compasses and provides survival training for Minnesotans completing DNR's firearms safety training.
Questions or donations may be addressed to:
Jamie Tennison Memorial
Compass Fund
Grand Rapids Area Community Foundation
201 NW Fourth Street
Grand Rapids, MN 55744
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This program provided training and compasses for all Itasca County FAS participants but is now a State Wide program. In the early years the compasses were low quality but today the compasses are top line A-10 SUUNTO although I would prefer a simple Fisheye.
My favorite method is the cloudy day one.
Using a very small twig or stem of grass, or a knife as in
this illistration The shadow cast on my thumbnail will tell in which direction the sun is. I work with this with my Grand Children all the time, and here in the Northwoods we can use the fallen tree method.
All our BIG storms come straight out of the west, therefore if we see snapped off trees (as in numerous) they will point East.