Picher, Oklahoma
Modern Mining Methods
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These two pictures, taken in the 1950s, show miners drilling in the ore body in preparation for placing charges. The mechanized equipment made mining much more efficient and profitable. Water was a never ending problem and the mines were pumped out to prevent flooding, but water always drained in.
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Aerial view of the mining district during the 1940s. Giant chat piles are everywhere in this scene from long ago. Photo courtesy of Chuck Ballenger.
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A roof trimmer works to remove loose rocks from the roof of this giant underground chamber. These men are likely about 6 ft. tall so you can see how high this trimmer is working. Some of these chambers were 100 ft high.
Added in Nov. 2014
