The tri-state area was/is full of old mines. One of the reminders these was/are still around are in the form of "Super Fund Clean-up Sites". The city of Joplin, the Army Corp of Engineers & the EPA went around testing soil on what was the "arial fall out" area from "Smeltser Hill" of Joplins mining heyday. My yard was lead contaminated at 1 point to 1600 ppm. Many Joplin homes had their yards replaced (mine being 1, I have since moved) and had to have their children tested for lead contamination. Having been raised in Carterville, just across the street from the "chats", I played, swam and explored in this lead contaminated crap just about everyday of my childhood. My grandfather, grand-uncles, and father all worked in the mines. I watched as 1 grand-uncle died a slow lingering death from "miners lung". These were the days before child labor laws & if a youngin' was big enough, they went to work, usually in the mines to help support their families (why my father had just a 5th grade education until later on in life). I posted a scan from the "Origin of the Zinc and Lead Deposits of the Joplin Region 1916" showing mining camps along the "Ozark Uplift" (MO, KS, & OK) a while back. You must realise that there were NUMEROUS mines & the miners tended to follow the work. I can repost the scan if anyone is interested. I have heard the the government made an identification cards on the miners, for some reason I believe it was started in Oklahoma, but I have not been able to locate any documented proof of these ID cards nor in what US record faculity they may be held. The mine owners, accidents, etc., will probably be easier to come by for info, rather than the common mine workers who, for lack of a better way to put it, were the poor human trash of the times. (no offense intended) The Webb City Area Genealogical society has published 1 volume of mining accidents and has another volume in the works last I heard. Peace, Brenda