When the American Mining Congress held its tenth annual conference in 1907, it chose to meet in Joplin, the heart of the world's largest lead and zinc district. This spectacular 89-page souvenir book was provided to all attendees. It is the most comprehensive photographic record of the tri-state mining district, including photos of mines and mining-related businesses in all of southwest Missouri, southeast Kansas, and northeast Oklahoma. There are even photos of gas and oil fields in the Flint Hills and some general town and street views of places like Baxter Springs, Galena and Sarcoxie.

The document itself is a work of photographic art, with the photos framed in lovely Art Nouveau designs created by the Michaelis Engraving Company of Kansas City.

Identifying the locations of many of the mines is virtually impossible today. Mine names were both changeable and portable, so what might be the XYZ mine today might be called something else tomorrow. As mines were abandoned, or sold and resold, the ownership records were lost to future historians. The names and owners of the mines pictured in this book were probably accurate on the date of printing. Beyond that we have few guarantees.

We especially thank the University of Missouri MOBIUS team for assisting us in the scanning of this document, the pages of which were larger than our scanner could accommodate.

This project has been made possible by a Library Services and Technology Grant administered by the Missouri State Library, a division of the office of the Missouri Secretary of State.