Valles Mines, Missouri, U S A

Founded in 1749 by Francois Valle in the French Upper Louisiana before Lewis and Clark. 276 years later the Valle Mining Company's 4000+ acre property every year absorbs 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide and generates 14,000 tons of oxygen, enough to meet the needs of 63,000 people. [USDA Forest Facts]

Smelting Lead at Valles Mines

[Shown: 1960 Picture] The top of the smelter
chimney has recently fallen down.

1904: This cave was mined
for its ore deposits,

Melted down at high temperatures by a charcoal fire

and ladled while still liquid (621 degrees F)
into ingot molds

The molds [model shown] would have stayed hot for hours
had it not been for the cooling water from the nearby dam
which solidified the lead much faster. It was now called a "pig"
and flipping the mold dumped the pig out.

The Furnace Tender stacked them up like this,
the official seal of the Valle Mining Company.

70 pounds: Our last lead Pig from the Valle Mining Company's smelter. Now on exhibit at our Museum.
As kids, we chopped it with hatchets and drilled it with drills
until I dropped it on my litle toe.

Survivor: Another of our lead Pigs discovered
at the Felix Valle House in Ste. Genevieve.