Pilot Knob (Iron County, Missouri) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pilot Knob |
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Pilot Knob. Note distinctive summit formation. (1998)
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| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,470 ft (450 m) |
| Geography | |
| Location | Iron County, Missouri, U.S. |
| Parent range | Saint Francois Mountains |
| Topo map | USGS Lake Killarney |
| Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge | |
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IUCN Category IV (Habitat/Species Management Area)
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Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge, July 2012
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| Location | Iron County, Missouri, United States |
| Area | 90 acres (0.36 km2) |
| Established | 1987 |
| Governing body | U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service |
| Website | Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge |
Pilot Knob is a mountain in Iron County, Missouri. It is located in the Arcadia Valley, between the towns of Ironton and Pilot Knob. The mountain gets its name from its unique shape and important location. It looks like a pilot's knob or control.
Pilot Knob is part of the St. Francois Mountains. It stands 1,470 feet (450 m) tall, rising 581 feet (177 m) above the valley floor. The mountain has a large amount of iron ore near its top. This iron ore was mined a lot in the 1800s. Mining left many open tunnels and pits.
Today, the top of the mountain is home to the 90-acre (36 ha) Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is very important because it protects nearly one-third of the world's Indiana bats. These bats sleep through the winter in the old mine tunnels. The land was given for conservation in 1987 after mining stopped. To keep the bats safe and for public safety, the refuge is currently closed to visitors. There is a tall fence around part of the land to keep people away from the old mine shafts.
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History of Pilot Knob
The rocks that make up Pilot Knob are very old, about 1,450 million years old!
Early Visitors and Native Americans
The first Europeans to see Pilot Knob and the Arcadia Valley were likely Hernando DeSoto and his army. They were Spanish explorers who traveled through Missouri in September 1541. They reportedly found a good salt spring in the area.
By the year 1800, Native American groups, like the Delaware Tribe, had a village at the base of Pilot Knob. This village was still there in 1819. Later, in the late 1830s, the Cherokee Tribe passed through the valley during the sad forced journey known as the Trail of Tears.
Mining and the Civil War
In 1857, the Iron Mountain Railroad was finished all the way to the town of Pilot Knob. This made it easy to transport the iron ore mined from Pilot Knob to the growing city of St. Louis.
During the Civil War, a major battle happened near Pilot Knob. In 1864, the Confederate Army under General Sterling Price tried to invade Missouri. The Union Army built a fort called Ft. Davidson near the base of Pilot Knob. The Battle of Fort Davidson, also called the Battle of Pilot Knob, was fought in the valley below the mountain.
Pilot Knob Today
Before Pilot Knob was closed to the public, people could hike to the top. They could feel cool air coming from one of the mine shafts, which was nicknamed the "Devil's Icebox." In the early 1900s, special Easter sunrise services were held on top of Pilot Knob.
