Western Missouri has a rich mining history and to celebrate that past, Poplar Heights Living History Farm will have a Mining Exhibit opening at their Summer Festival June 9 & 10. Visitors will be able to "pan" for gems at the mine sluice. A water tower provides cascading water down a series of troughs to the mining sluice. Here miners can swirl their bags of mining "rough" in the running water sluices to discover the minerals, gems, and fossils. At the Assay station they can identify their finds. At the Learning Center, visitors will learn about Missouri's mining history, how coal formed, and see displays of various ores, fossils and gems.
Ron Thompson will be at the opening on June 9 &10th to talk about coal mining history. He has been researching coal mining in western Missouri for many years and will be bringing his collection of antique coal mining tools.
Construction has started and will be completed by fall on a typical 1890's area coal mine entrance with mining ore cart and rail road. A great educational experience as children will don hardhats and step back in time to see howl miners worked the coal fields of our area.
This exhibit is part of an on-going research into coal mining in western Missouri. Anyone with photographs, maps or stories of mining in the old days is urged to contact Poplar Heights and share this information. The exhibit opens at 10am June 9th at the beginning of the Living History Summer Festival. Other Festival activities include heritage crafters and demonstrators, live bluegrass and hammer dulcimer music, homemade root beer, ice cream and cream soda, sandwiches and more, The Osage Vigilantes will be putting on western shows with gifts for all the children. Children will be able to dip candles, make rope, play old time games. All can visit the animals, take wagon rides and see the heirloom vegetable gardens.
Poplar Heights Living History Farm is located 7 miles northeast of Butler, Missouri. From Butler go east on H Highway to UU Highway, turn north and follow the signs. To learn more about this charitable foundation visit their website at www.poplarheightsfarm.org, email them at info@poplaheightsfarm.org or call their office at 660-679-0764.
-our thanks to Brian Phillips, Executive Director
Poplar Heights Living History Farm
