Oronogo Field, Jasper County, Missouri, USAi

Regional Level Types
Oronogo Field	Mining Field
Jasper County	County
Missouri	State
USA	Country

Oronogo Field, Tri-State Mining District, USA

First Leadville Hollow, ... next Center Creek, ... then Minersville ... lastly Oronogo

A town was started in Leadville Hollow in 1848 on the present site of Oronogo. It was named for the mines and the miners. When the mail became mixed with that of Minesville of Christian County, a public meeting was called to change the name, and it became Oronogo.

Both local history and tradition account for the name with the following story: "At a public meeting held to change the name of Minersville, after many names had been suggested, a man in the back of the room well filled with the spirit of golden grain arose and said, "Boys, by----, it's ore or no go." Colonel J.M. Young, a linguist, got the idea. By taking the Spanish "oro" for ore and by dropping the "or" the word became euphonious. He pronounced it Oronogo, and the audience accepted the name.

Mining operations have been prosecuted about Oronogo as long as at any point in the county; in fact, during the first years of mining, they were the principal producers. They were known and were described by Swallow in 1854 as the Center Creek mines, occupying parts of section 31, township 29 N., 32 W., and of section 36 of the adjoining township to the west.