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Photo courtesy John Charlton,
Kansas Geological Survey
Galena
is located in an area known as the Tri-State Mining District; so named
because of zinc and lead mining that occurred beginning in the late 1800's
and lasting nearly a century. The district spanned 2,500
miles in southeast Kansas, northeast Oklahoma,
and southwest Missouri. Over the years, the district produced 50 percent
of the zinc and 10 percent of the lead in the United States.
Once the ore had finally played out, mining
operations left in their wake nearly
3,000 abandoned mine
shafts in Cherokee County, alone, creating numerous environmental problems
and other hazards, including open and collapsed mine shafts which have
caused property damage, and water contamination.
By the 1980's the area
was considered one of the most
environmentally blighted in the nation and cleanup efforts began. However,
as late as July 31, 2006, damage was still occurring as evidenced by the
collapse of the backside of the Green Parrot Bar in downtown
Galena.
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the Kansas Mother Road
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