UBB.threads Forums General Interest Other Hobbies and Collections, like sports cars, movies, music,etc Mineral specimens and mining artifacts

Here are some things from the Picher mining field. Picher started as a tent city about 1910. It was a hardrock lead and zinc mining town that started toward the end of the old west and argueably the toughest western mining town of the era up to the late 1950's. Hardrock mining refered to the chert that the minerals were mined out of. The field supplied 90% of the lead used for ammunition in WWI and WWII for the USA. It was an exteremely important mineral source for the country.
What you see are various crystaline specimens of lead, zinc and calcite. A bronze portrait bust of my father, sculpted and cast by me, from a photo when he was 21 working at the C K and E, the deepest mine in the field at 420 feet, after WWII.
The specimines were brought up by my father, my grandfather in the 20's and 30's and a great uncle that was a mining engineer for Eagle-Picher.
The miners dinner bucket belonged to my grandfather. The carbide lamps are early specimins from the turn of the century. The ones that look like oil cans are sunshine lamps that are pre 1900.
Steve Ray

pretty cool stuff Steve I was always intrigued by the History of the 30s-40s in America,, and some how i can relate to it because my grandparents attic and garage was full of a little of everything from those times. Just to walk in there you can smell and feel the history. Like stepping into a time machine! Regards Larry

Very neat stuff- Thank you- Mike

The bust of your Father really adds that personal touch to a very interesting display!

Thanks for the comments guys.

My grandfather, David George Wetzel-20612 (1894-1982) was a "coal breaker", age 16, living in Mahanoy City, Schuylkill Co. PA. in 1910 and moved to Paterson, N.J. abt. 1913-1915 to work in the silk mills. He returned to Tamaqua, PA. to mine coal for about 4 months, Dec. 1920 to March 1921.

My grandfather then returned to Paterson, N. J. and returned to the silk mills and was later a worker at Curtiss-Wright in the Propeller Division. In 1942 my grandfather was an Air Raid Warden and after the War an Engineer, "Experimental Worker", Wood Ridge, N.J. (Curtiss-Wright). My grandfather retired from Curtiss-Wright in May 1960 having worked there for 19.3 years and listed as "Engine repair worker". He was awarded a 5-year pin "Propeller Division".

This coal miner's hat is in very good condition and was probably from 1920. Note: Morea Coal Co. record: David G. Wetzel, "laborer", Dec. 2, 1920, to Dec. 30, 1920 & "blacksmith helper", Dec. 31, 1920, to Mar. 17, 1921.

Coal miner's hat description:
Made of heavy brown duck (cloth), w/sole leather lamp attachment & oil cloth visor.

Photo from, L. (Brain) Manzoni, granddaughter of David G. Wetzel-20612.

C. Wetzel-20609