Missouri’s mining industry, a sector with a history stretching back three centuries, has left an indelible mark on the state’s landscape and communities. The industry’s early days saw settlers drawn to the region’s rich deposits of iron, lead, and coal, establishing camps that would eventually grow into thriving communities. Central and southeast Missouri, known as the Lead Belt, once produced about 70 percent of the country’s mined lead, with production valued at nearly $5 billion at its peak. Meanwhile, southwest and northern Missouri became significant centers of the state’s coal-mining industry. Today, the remnants of this industrial past are still visible in the architecture and attractions of these historic towns, offering a glimpse into a bygone era.
In Granby, one of the oldest mining towns in southwest Missouri, visitors can explore the Granby Miners Museum, housed in the oldest building on Main Street. The museum, easily identifiable by its colorful murals depicting mining scenes, contains a wealth of artifacts, including photographs, mining tools, helmets, rocks, minerals, clothing, and other memorabilia. After a visit to the museum, locals and tourists alike can enjoy a hearty meal at the WH Farm Cafe Mining Co., a locally run cafe serving traditional diner food with a farmhouse twist. Before leaving Granby, a stop at the George Washington Carver National Monument, located about 11 miles north of town, provides a poignant reminder of the region’s diverse history. The park preserves the birthplace and childhood home of the inventor and educator who overcame significant obstacles to become one of the country’s most prominent scientists.
Novinger, a small coal town in the hills of northeast Missouri, also boasts a rich mining heritage. Founded in 1878, the town experienced a coal boom in the early 1900s that supported its growth. The town’s story is preserved at the Coal Miners Museum, which contains a simulated coal mine and blacksmith shop, antique farm tools, and other memorabilia. A block north of the museum, the Log Homestead, a historic property built in 1848 by local miners, contains period furnishings and artifacts that reflect early life in the region. A short drive southeast of Novinger, Thousand Hills State Park offers a scenic preserve where visitors can swim, boat, hike, camp, and watch wildlife. The park also contains ancient petroglyphs, dated to about 1,500 years ago, created by the area’s early inhabitants.
Rolla, situated in a mineral-rich part of south-central Missouri, became a key player in the state’s mining industry when the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy was founded here in 1870. Now the University of Science and Technology, the campus includes the Kennedy Experiment Mine Building, an interactive laboratory used by students to gain firsthand knowledge of engineering tools and mining techniques. Visitors can take guided tours of the mine and visit the university’s mineral museum, which contains displays from the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis. For those seeking a quieter experience, the Audubon Trails Nature Center offers a 70-acre preserve containing tall-grass prairie and oak forest, along with five miles of hiking trails and shaded picnic pavilions. The Ozark Actors Theatre, housed in the historic Cedar Street Playhouse, provides year-round performances, offering visitors a taste of the local cultural scene.
In the heart of Missouri’s lead belt, Park Hills began when French settlers came to the eastern Ozark Mountains in the 1700s to mine for lead. The St Joe Lead Company was among the first to commercialize the mines, and its former properties are preserved at the Missouri Mines State Historic Site. The site includes the Powerhouse Museum in a former processing plant, where visitors can view vintage mining equipment, exhibits on Missouri geology, and one of the Midwest’s finest mineral collections. St Joe State Park, another key attraction in Park Hills, offers four lakes, two swimming beaches, picnic facilities, and hiking trails. For a break in town, the local craft brewery, Four Towns Brewing Company, serves craft taps and seasonal brews, along with occasional specialty drinks.
Bonne Terre, whose French name means “good earth,” reflects its central role in Missouri’s mining past. The town grew around the Bonne Terre Mine, one of the earliest deep-earth lead mines and once the largest producer of lead ore. The mine operated from 1864 until it closed in 1962 and is now a tourist attraction named one of America’s Top 10 Greatest Adventures by National Geographic. Bonne Terre Mine has five levels reached by a 65-step staircase that leads into the caverns below. The lower levels contain a lake with about 17 miles of shoreline