Defending St. Louis from Attack Saves STL
The Colonial Days His Bride
Valles Mines, Missouri, U S A
Founded in 1749 by Francois Valle years before he became Commandante of the Fort of Sainte Genevieve and The King of Spain made him Don Francois Valle for saving their Fort San Carlos (now St. Louis).
270 years later as The Valle Mining Company, his 4000+ acre property every year absorbs 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide and puts out 14,000 tons of oxygen, enough to meet the needs of 63,000 people. [USDA Forest Facts]
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Roads of Valles Mines

North

The Valles Mines Station & Post Office at V Road falls within sight of Flint Rock Mound where Indian braves made their spearpoints. To the east you will find a road through Hick's Field, aka, The Corn Field, where food for the oxen was grown. A rock shelf across Finney Creek allows crossing onto a road that comes out on Valles Mines School Road south of the Chat Pile & Concentrator.

The Hillsboro-Farmington Road

The present Valles Mines Road went through Buster Crossing to French Village then on to Ste. Genevieve. Once known as the "Hillsboro-Farmington Road", Y Highway today actually begins at Buster Crossing, goes up the mountain above the former village of Tunnel Station and over the top of the hill to end at the Halifax Post Office Road.

MoDOT cut "French Village Road", during the construction of Hwy 67 near the Radio Tower in 1954.

If you start at Buster crossing going south and...

  • take the left fork, you will be taking the high road over the top of the MR & BT Tunnel.

    What we have come to call The "Mud Road" starts at the foundations of the Upper Lake Ore Washer. At its other end this haul road comes down from the Big Lode Mine, hopefully to be opened Summer 2020 as a tourist attraction to compete with the Bonne Terre Mine Tours. However, turning west to follow this road halfway up the mountain is hazardous as the road is washed out in many places. Explore at your own peril (permit required). It would be far easier to park your horse trailer behind the Green House at 14161 and starting at the Rock Road, go up to the top and come down from the foot of the High Wall at the Frazier Quarry. You will have to cross a tiny creek which may be dry. Be careful, this is rough ground and a challenge if your used to flat paddocks. Road renovation coming Summer 2020.

  • take the right fork, you will be taking the low road onto the railway's right-of-way and THROUGH the Haunted Tunnel to Tunnel Station and its cemetery.

Vinegar Hill Road


Vinegar Hill Road South joins Valles Mines Road. It served the mighty Garottee Mine, now fenced. Nearby above on the hill note the textbook example of the Eminence/Gasconade formation's ledge exposure. The Garottee Mine lies near the ruins of the former village of Prospect School, whose foundation still protrudes. Just a few hundres yards before that intersection, the famous Selma Road, known in the late-1700's as THE haul road out of the Lead Belt, comes in from the south and continues to the Upper Lake, although now in bad repair.

The MR & BT Railway between Valles Mines Station and Tunnel Station

Mississippi River & Bonne Terre ("MRBT") Railway sights you would have seen had you been riding the train back then.

Tunnel Station Features:

  • The Cemetery at Tunnel Station was served by a now abandoned County Road that connected to the Silver Springs Baptist Church on Hardin Road.
  • Tunnel Station was also served by a now abandoned County road to the Halifax Post Office Road (now Y-Highway after it crosses 67) to French Village and Ste. Genevieve.
  • Alternatively, to get to Ste. Genevieve from Valles Mines, take The Rock Road past the vista at the Crowbar Shaft near Hill 1133, the USGS "VALLEY" marker.
  • Silver Springs Road and Berry Road Connection was at the railroad station where the MR&BT crossed Silver Springs Road, just up the tracks from Tunnel Sta. past the Calzine Zinc furnace and digs for our signature Drusy Quartz mineral.
  • A dirt airfield for tail draggers where the MRBT crossed Hardin road at Cole Lake called Cole Field.
  • All the connections to French culture in SE Missouri began in Ste. Francois County. When the State carved up Ste. Genevieve County to make Franklin County there had to be an artery to get between the County seats, formerly called "The Hillsboro-Farmington Road". We did offer MoDOT a chance to re-open this road through to V Road, they declined "for now", perhaps waiting until after the widening of State Road V to DeSoto in 2020?