Valles Mines, Missouri, U S A

Founded in 1749 by Francois Valle in the French Upper Louisiana before Lewis and Clark. 275 years later the Valle Mining Company's 4000+ acre property every year absorbs 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide and generates
14,000 tons of oxygen, enough to meet the needs of 63,000 people. [USDA Forest Facts]

Smelting Lead at Valles Mines

[Shown: 1960 Picture] The top of the smelter
chimney has recently fallen down.

1904: This cave was mined
for its ore deposits,

Melted down at high temperatures by a charcoal fire

and ladled while still liquid (621 degrees F)
into ingot molds

The molds [model shown] would have stayed hot for hours
had it not been for the cooling water from the nearby dam
which solidified the lead much faster. It was now called a "pig"
and flipping the mold dumped the pig out.

The Furnace Tender stacked them up like this,
the official seal of the Valle Mining Company.

Our last lead Pig from the smelter. Now on exhibit at our Museum.
We chopped it with hatchets and drilled it with drills
until I dropped it on my toe amd research ended.

Survivor: Another of our lead Pigs discovered
at the Felix Valle House in Ste. Genevieve.