SEK Mining History Special Event #2

The Southeast Kansas Amateur Radio Club is operating #2 of 7 Special Events in 2018 honoring the rich mining history in Southeast Kansas. Please send SASE with your QSL and contact all 7 to get a special "Clean Scoop" Certificate. Have fun and thanks for visiting our site.

Miners Hall Museum is an exhibition located within the Franklin Community Center & Heritage Museum in Franklin, Kansas. The public is invited to visit and view the mining artifacts as well as other historic items.

From Kansas Historical Society

Workers from dozens of European countries were drawn to the lush landscapes of southeast Kansas in the late 19th century. Naturally occurring minerals buried just underground drew these men and their families from places like Italy, Austria, Germany, Yugoslavia, England, Wales, Scotland, France, and Belgium. They put their skills to work in the coal and zinc mines; they shared their traditions with the region, which became known as the “Little Balkans.”

These European miners began to arrive in the 1870s. They learned that the red, rusty coal near the surface could be strip mined and was good for cooking and blacksmithing. The black, oily coal buried under about 200 feet of sandstone was accessed through deep mining and suited for fueling steam locomotives. This workforce helped the area become the industrial center of the state. Coal companies created communities for the workers near mining locations. Some were temporary camps with dirt roads and shacks.

2018

QSL INFO:
KØSEK Attn: Chancey
409 W Quincy St
Pittsburg KS 66762
Send SASE
* QSL All 7 and get this 8x10 special certificate *

#1 Crawford County Historical Museum
March 24th-25th
9am-6pm


#2 Miners Hall Museum
April 21st-22nd

#3 Mine 19 Camp Cabin
May 19th-20th

#4 BIG BRUTUS Annual Miners Reunion
June 2nd-3rd

#5 Miners Park Pittsburg KS
July 21st-22nd

#6 Galena Miners/Historical Museum
August 18th-19th

#7 Little Balkins Days
September 1st-2nd