Missouri Mines State Historic Site
Encyclopedia
Missouri Mines State Historic Site occupies Federal Mill No. 3 in Park Hills
, Missouri
, which processed the lead
and zinc
ore
that was mined in the immediate area for many decades. The historic site features a geological and mining history museum and interpretive center in the old power building focusing on Missouri's historic old Lead Belt
.
This particular plant was built by the Federal Lead Co. in 1906-1907 and subsequently bought by competitor St. Joseph Lead Company
in 1923. The mill was retired in 1972 as much of the ore in the area had been mined and major operations were moving west.
In 1975 the land was donated to the state of Missouri
for recreational use. Much of the land was considered too damaged for return to a natural state and so became set aside for off-roading vehicles as St. Joe State Park
, while the mill site has been designated an interpretive center.
Park Hills, Missouri
Park Hills is a city in St. Francois County, Missouri, United States. The population was estimated at 8,851 in 2008. It was 7,861 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, which processed the lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
and zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
that was mined in the immediate area for many decades. The historic site features a geological and mining history museum and interpretive center in the old power building focusing on Missouri's historic old Lead Belt
Lead Belt
The Southeast Missouri Lead District, commonly called the Lead Belt, is a lead mining district in the southeastern part of Missouri. Counties in the Lead Belt include Saint Francois; Crawford; Dent; Iron; Madison: Reynolds; and Washington...
.
This particular plant was built by the Federal Lead Co. in 1906-1907 and subsequently bought by competitor St. Joseph Lead Company
St. Joe Minerals
St. Joe Minerals Corporation was the United States largest producer of lead and zinc when it merged with Fluor Corporation in 1981.St. Joe was founded at the St. Joseph Lead Company on March 25, 1864 by Lyman W. Gilbert, John E. Wylie, Edmund I. Wade, Wilmot Williams, James L. Dunham and James L....
in 1923. The mill was retired in 1972 as much of the ore in the area had been mined and major operations were moving west.
In 1975 the land was donated to the state of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
for recreational use. Much of the land was considered too damaged for return to a natural state and so became set aside for off-roading vehicles as St. Joe State Park
St. Joe State Park
St. Joe State Park is a Missouri state park located in Park Hills, Missouri on the flanks of the Saint Francois Mountains. It encompasses with a off-road vehicle riding area located on the old St. Joe mine tailings dumps. It also contains camping facilities and trails for hiking, bicycling, or...
, while the mill site has been designated an interpretive center.
See also
- Mining in the United StatesMining in the United States-Mining by mineral:*Coal mining in the United States*Copper mining in the United States*Gold mining in the United States*Silver mining in the United States*Uranium mining in the United States-Mining by state:*:Category:Mining in Alaska...