Missouri Mines State Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Missouri Mines State Historic Site |
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 Missouri Mines State Historic Site
Location in Missouri
Missouri Mines State Historic Site
Location in the United States
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| Location | Park Hills, St. Francois, Missouri, United States |
| Area | 64.59 acres (26.14 ha) |
| Established | 1976 |
| Operator | Missouri Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Missouri Mines State Historic Site |
The Missouri Mines State Historic Site is a cool place in Park Hills, Missouri. It used to be a huge factory called Federal Mill No. 3. This factory processed rocks called ore to get valuable metals like lead and zinc. These metals were dug up from mines nearby for many years.
Today, the old power building at the site is a museum. It teaches visitors all about the geology (how rocks and land are formed) and the history of mining in Missouri. It especially focuses on the "Old Lead Belt," which was a very important mining area in the state.
Contents
Discovering Missouri Mines
The Missouri Mines State Historic Site helps us learn about Missouri's rich mining past. It shows how important lead and zinc mining was to the area.
From Mill to Museum
The factory, known as Federal Mill No. 3, was built between 1906 and 1907. It was created by a company called Federal Lead Co.
- In 1923, a bigger company, St. Joseph Lead Company, bought the mill.
- The mill kept working until 1972. By then, most of the valuable ore in the area had been dug out.
- Because of this, the main mining operations moved to other places.
A New Purpose for the Land
In 1975, the land where the mill stood was given to the state of Missouri. The idea was to use it for fun activities.
- A lot of the land was too damaged from mining to become natural again.
- So, this part of the land became St. Joe State Park. It's a popular spot for off-road vehicles.
- The old mill site itself was chosen to be an "interpretive center." This means it's a place where people can learn about the history of the area.
What You Can See There
At the Missouri Mines State Historic Site, you can explore the old power building. It's now a museum filled with interesting exhibits.
- You can see displays about different minerals and rocks found in Missouri.
- There are also many old mining tools and machines on display.
- It's a great way to imagine what mining life was like many years ago.
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Building and conveyor
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Mineral museum
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Mining equipment on display
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One of the large buildings next to the museum.
