Missouri Mines State Historic Site

The Missouri Mines State Historic Site is a ten -acre industrial monument in Park Hills, St. Francois County of the U.S. state of Missouri.

In the eastern Ozark Plateau is a region known as " Old Lead Belt" ( age and weight belt ) is called. The richest lead ore deposits of the United States there were dismantled over a period of more than 60 years.

The earliest mining activities to lead recovery in southwest Missouri dates back to the year 1720. A large demand for lead in the late 19th century brought in the region produce large companies. A system of more than 1600 km of branched and interconnected workings and about 480 km pit lanes bear witness to 108 years of ore production.

The company St. Joseph Lead Co. dominated the ore, was the heart of the old lead belt and produced until 1972. 1975, the company donated 25 of its greatest Erzmühlenkomplexes building and the surrounding land to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. From these properties opened in 1976 at St. Joe State Park and 1980, the Missouri Mines State Historic Site.

The 1765 m² large power plant the ore mill has been converted into a spacious museum of mining history in which a historic machinery and mineral collections are on display.