Netta Mine, Picher, Oklahoma
    The Netta mine was one of the richest lead and zinc mines in the tri-state district and was located just west of Connel and south of A street.  There was a gigantic chat pile next to this mill and many of the pictures shown on this site were taken from the top of it.  There is a huge underground cavern under this area and a large part of the business district of Picher was condemned and fenced off about 1950 after Eagle-Picher warned that the whole area could collapse in a giant cave-in.  For years the area was a brush filled wasteland until a few years ago when the area was cleaned up and Reunion Park was built.  The cave-in danger still remains today.
Looking West from Connel Ave toward the Netta Mill
Poetry about the Netta Mine
Written in 1921 by miner, E.M. Huffman and published
in the "Joplin Daily Globe."

The old Netta Mill is a mill of fame
Commanded by a man who sure knows the game
I worked there in the days of yore
When we put the dirt through the old twenty four

The dirt in the feed hopper sure did roll
While the spud hand cursed and made the chat pile grow
He ran the dirt with all of his might
The way he choked the tailings, it sure was a fright

The herder came down and he throwed a fit
And said "Buddy, you sure got to sprinkle them a bit."
When the dirt was good he nearly broke his back
He sure sent the cleaner a load of jack

The jack shoverlers said they wished they were dead.
When they saw that awful pile of lead.
The boys that work there are mighty game
And how they make ore is a natural born shame.

Now to the public: If you think milling is an easy game,
Just come over and see where the Netta got her fame.
End of Picher material (for now)

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4/6/04
Another view showing the giant tailing pile which was located north of
Reunion Park in Picher.  This gives an idea of the enormous amount of material that was removed under this area and the surroundings.  Much of the business district of Picher was condemned and removed during the early 1950s because of the danger of collapse of this large cavern.  Now, they have built a park over the area of the cavern.

UPDATE:   The park is closed and fenced off and the whole town is gone.