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The Colonial Days His Bride
Valles Mines, Missouri, U S A

Founded in 1749 by Don Francois Valle.
The Valle Mining Company's 3500 acre property every year absorbs 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide and puts out 14,000 tons of oxygen.
This is enough to meet the needs of 63,000 people. [USDA Forest Facts] Site Map
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The Artesian Well and the 6 Deep Drill Holes

The Valles Mines Artesian Well

Deep Drill #1 1914: The Valle Mining Company decides to prospect for ore deep in the Bonne Terre Formation. "Does the Viburnum Trend extend this far north?" A steam powered diamond core drill at the time was the only way to go. At first, the day proved nothing. Over and over, the decision came down. "We'll go deeper!" 100, 200 400, 800 feet deep they drilled, still nothing. Then came that sound. The sound of water... At 840 feet they struck an underground artesian river, not just a well, but a river and water came gushing out at 75 gallons per minute, enough to fill a modern day drywall bucket in 4 seconds.

It took 50 years for science before the Missouri Dept. of Natural Resources could trace the source of the water, traced from an underground river in Arkansas, 200 miles away. That river feeds this well from deep within the aquafer. The Artesian Well flows today and people drive hundreds of miles, even from Illinois, to fill their water jugs. The oldest man in town attributes his old age to the water, drinking it every day. To see how pure it really is and what's in it, Click Here

The Well flowing. 90+ years later, even during the worst drought, the well continues to produce.

90+ years later, even during the worst drought, the well continues to produce. With hundreds of nearby wells now, the volume has diminished but the purity and rare flavor endures to this day

The 2 Mysteries of Drill Hole #2

Deep Drill #2 Not only did they strike water in Drill Hole #1 but a mile away in Drill Hole #2 they struck 6 feet of lead. Although the largest lead nugget at Valles Mines was the size of a Volkswagen Beetle, this would be even bigger. No one ever pursued this prospecting discovery and Drill Hole #2's exact location has been lost. However, based on old maps and surveys, it is located about 100 feet south of the Frazier Quarry (formerly the Big Bill twin shafts) towards the Big Lode Mine. The precise depth of the strike was never determined either. IT remains a project for a metal detector as the iron casing that guided the drill remains in place waiting for its rediscovery.