Virginia Mine, Franklin County Lead Mining District, Franklin County, Missouri, USAi

Regional Level Types
Virginia Mine	Mine
Franklin County Lead Mining District	Mining District
Franklin County	County
Missouri	State
USA	Country

This mine is located principally in the NW. 1/4 of section 16, township 41 N., 1E. It was discovered in 1834, and has been the scene of large operations since. To date, over 13,000 tons of lead ore have been produced. According to Col Maupin, the total depth reached has been 480 ft. No work has been done here now for a number of years, and, though twice visited by the writer, nothing but surface exposures could be seen. Remains of a large furnace and hoisting plant are still extant, and numerous shafts and pits attest tbe extent and vigor of past developments. What is known as the Inge shaft is close to the old furnace, and is reported to have been 325 ft. deep. From this, the pits extend in both directions, along a course about N 20° W. (mag.), and show the direction of the fissure, though this is probably somewhat sinuous. In an old shaft, about a quarter of a mile south, the vein consists of barite, 18 inches to 2 ft thick. About 100 ft. farther south another pit exposes the section represented in figure 248. The crevice is here filled with a vein of barite, 4 to 6 inches thick, containing patches of galena. The barite is of a dark purplish color, resembling some varieties of chert, and exhibits slickensided surfaces in places. The east wall of the vein consists of massive, magnesian limestone, with chert, which latter does not appear in layers, but in numerous fragments, as if brecciated. The west wall consists of magnesian limestone, thinly bedded, with layers of chert alternating with the limestone. These conditions are unmistakable evidences of faulting. The amount of throw could not be determined with the opportunities now afforded for examination. The great depth to which the vein has been followed is suggestive of considerable movemont, yet the comparatively undisturbed condition of the wall-rocks immediately adjacent is opposed to this.

This mine was described at some length by Litton in 1854, and as seen by him, the deposit occurred in a vertical fissure running nearly due N.-S., which had been traced and worked for a distance of over a mile. The width of the fissure varied from 1 to 15 ft., and it traversed magnesian limestone. It was filled with clay and barite, the latter both crystalline and amorphous, in which the galena was imbedded. Blue crystals of barite have been found in the dump-piles by the writer. At one point, between what were known as the Engine and North shafts, Dr, King, who also examined this mine, describes a “vast cavern" extending from the first level almost to the surface, with an average breadth of nearly 6 ft., and from 50 to 100 ft. in height; this, he states, was nearly filled with pure galena.

During the first year of operations, between 200 and 300 miners were at work on separate parcels of land, the property belonging then to the public school lands. It was worked under some such conditions until 1844, when the Meramec company obtained a lease. This company commenced energetically and continued work for two years, but then ceased on account of business embarrassments. Operations were not resumed up to 1854, and by that time Dr. Litton estimated that about 5000 tons of ore had been produced. After this date, according to Col. Maupin, it was worked by leases up to 1873, when the total yield rose to about 12,500 tons. In the latter year, it was sold to a New York company, and since that time about 625 tons more have been produced.