The Ozark Region covers a large part of the Southern part of Missouri. It also covers an extensive area of Arkansas and touches in Oklahoma and Kansas. Rocks and minerals are valuable resources of the Ozark Region. Different settlements developed in area where discoveries of minerals were made. It is believed by local residents that a Spanish explorer traveled up the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico and settled at St. Genevieve, MO. He found "silver" among the Native Americans. When he asked them about it, he was directed to the Potosi area.

The name Potosi means "mineralized area" in Spanish. Some "silver" was dug and taken to the Mississippi by horseback, by canoe down the Gulf, and then by ship to Spain. It was discovered that this was not silver, but lead, and in 1762 settlers began mining for this new metal. The mining, or taking these minerals out of the earth, provided many jobs and income for the people in this region. Mining is an important part of Missouri's geology. The mining industry can impact the environment and the health of people.

The Trout Lodge lead mines, like the one we will visit at Outdoor School, were just holes in the ground which were dug in the 1930's during the Depression, when people were desperate to find some kind of income. John Hawkins, whose cabin was located at the end of the second cove on Sunnen Lake, was out hunting squirrels one day when he saw something shiny in the earth bank. He dug a little bit and found some galena very much the same way you will at ODS. More lead has been mined in this area, the Old Lead Belt, than in any other part of the world for more than 90 years.

The Native Americas were the first to mine for flint for arrowheads, iron oxide for war paint, and clay for their pottery. The French came in around 1700 and discovered lead, copper, silver, barite, and iron. The early mines, such as the one we will see, were dug by hand with a pick axe and wooden shovel. It was hard and dirty work and many were unsuccessful. Many of these people left these shallow holes and began to farm or find other jobs. John Hopkins and a friend began mining lead in the Potosi area by digging shifts with tunnels going off in several directions. They took candles with them, not only to help them see but also to help with another problem. One of the problems in the Trout Lodge Mine was the lack of oxygen in the mine tunnels that were 80 feet deep. He would take a candle with him and when it went out, he knew to get out.

Today, Lead is one of man's most useful metals but also one of the deadliest. Lead poisoning can cause tremors, problems with thinking and memory, and can lead to learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Mining also hurts the natural environment. Mines today are under strict guidelines to test water to make sure it is safe and to reclaim the land, or to make it look as good or better than it was. Today, many minerals are still mined in Missouri in huge mines that often go 1000 feet down into the earth. After the rock is taken out of the ground, the minerals are extracted, and they go into a furnace to go through the melting process called smelting.

To find common uses for different minerals follow the steps below: 1. Open Internet Explorer 2. Type into the url line: 3. Click on "Teacher Web Pages" 4. Click on "Navigators" 5. Click on "Ms. Mandula" 6. Click on "Links" You should see the four minerals listed. If you click on the name of the mineral you will find information on their uses. Good Luck!