Well I do have to say that our group always stays diversified. We go from coal to steel to historic machinery now to LEAD MINES in Missouri.

Special thanks one of our members Ray M. for suggesting we document this site.


We took over 225 pictures but we posted just a few to give everyone a taste of a lead mine. We are posting these pictures to help promote this site as it is a Missouri State Park that always welcomes travellers to visit. The site is located just north of Park Hills, Missouri & we have to say that it is well worth a trip to the area. This site demonstrates how the mines did impact such an important part of history for the state of Missouri.

The displays & mine equipment from 400 hp air compressors to ore cars are a MUST SEE .

Make sure you also see the great display of mineral & rock specimans a must for all the rock hounds.

HIGHLIGHT: ask one of the great park guides to show you one of the few remaining St. Joe Shovels. ONLY 50 ever made I believe there are only 5 in exsistance.

Please visit their website for directions & hours of site tours.
http://www.mostateparks.com/momines/map.htm

EDIT

Please see photos here:
http://www.ironminers.com/mineforum/vie ... hp?t=19449

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Looks like it was worth the drive! I like that goodman

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"We don't look for any money all we look for is a little help and the only help we get is for the government to shut us down and if you go to the gas station and buy the gas you'll see why..........................you'll see why"

We combined this trip by picking a piece of equipment form an underground lime mine 45 miles away. We always pack it in from 6 am until 18 hours later with no daylight left.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Some pretty impressive shots! Good to see that a lot of stuff is intact. The size of that stope is amazing, watching them lift a mine locomotive mid stope to a different level. Any information on the mine? Is it still accessible or is it flooded like my ironmines of this size?

Miner Greg

Greg they did not lift that locomotive it was a tunnel that cut into the stope midway up. Notice how close it is to the edge. . . can you imagine entering into those workings that way it must have been amazing.

Greg did you know we were only 45 miles away from a huge iron mie area in Missouri. We tried to get there but missed our turn. Pressed on time or we would have checked it out.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

Yeah, those are certainly some workings.. Must also be interesting riding alongside or in that locomotive in the middle of a stope. Certainly would be a neat site.

Also, just as neat, climbing up and down that ladder located in the middle of the stope. Just hanging high in the middle of nowhere.

Those photos give true appreciation for what that mine was.

Miner Greg

THE BIG QUESTION KNOW ONE KNOWS THE ANSWER TO:

Did lead miners die and or get lead poisoning

We all hear about the lead paint B.S. so what about the miners that mined the lead ore directly.

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Pioneering the next INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION (Preservation ! ). . . Saving equipment (1) mine site at a time.

I wondered that myself. And what about the guys on the surface that process it?

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"We don't look for any money all we look for is a little help and the only help we get is for the government to shut us down and if you go to the gas station and buy the gas you'll see why..........................you'll see why"

From what I have read, at least in the more modern mines, generally the dust problems were more of an issue in the ore processing areas outside of the mine rather than inside the mine. The ore crushers supposedly create a lot more dust than mining the ore. Dust is kept low in the mines because of both the damp conditions and because the modern pneumatic drills shoot water to keep dust levels lower.

However, I thought most of the health problems working in lead mines were more related to Silicosis from the exposure to minerals containing silica.

Miner Greg