Galena, any news? (Parsons, Plains, Cherokee: rental, houses, neighborhoods)

[Northwoods Voyager]

Have been following the 'collapse' of parts of Galena due to old mining underneath the city. Des anyone on this forum live in Galena or nearby? What s the latest from a resident's viewpoint? Had in-laws that lived there many, many years ago. Just curious. Thanks

[GraniteStater]

Northwoods Voyager- I know that area well, and have visited the southeast corner of Kansas several times. Galena is in Cherokee County which is just to the west of Joplin, MO. Lead and zinc mines were prevalant in that area starting in the 1800s and continuing into the early part of the 20th century. No environmental regulations were in place when the mining occured so now their are contamination problems that still exist in the area today, and the area is on the EPA Superfund cleanup list. They have measured lead levels many times higher than normal in some of the reservoirs. Some other underground water sources and surface water bodies are still tainted with mining residue. It is not a good situation, and the cleanup will still take a lot of time. The newest information that I have gathered about the county is that they want to put a casino down there because they desperately need jobs.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Thanks Plains10 for the information. As I said, it has been years since I had last heard of/from the area. FOX News had a short segment about the collapsing of many parts of Galena. Was also hoping to hear something from those that still live in or near the area. Thanks again

[Brother123]

Need information on a house that exists on the highway just on the outskirts of Galena, enroute to Riverton. The house is rumored to have been a tavern/bar that was frequented by the likes of "Pretty Boy Floyd" , etc. I am very interested in learning the name of the bar/tavern before it was remodeled into a house. The house is located on the west side of Galena, on the highway to Riverton.

[Joplin Independent staff]

Read what David Sizemore, a city councilman, said about the issue online.

[Willy-Bill]

Wife and I just drove through Galena and it seriously looked like a ghost town. The drive West to Riverton was sad to see.
As a kid in Parsons KS I would sometimes hear of a "cave in" at Galena. I think the environmental issues today would be the only thing that is considered new to the area. I'm not sure that the mining there would have covered huge areas of surface area. It's just that the methods and ores were dangerous. Mining in those days was poorly regulated if at all.
We would sometimes hear of sick miners from that area.
Galena, Kansas - A Lead Mining Maven
Mining History in Kansas - Geotechnical Hazards Training & Workshops - Geotechnical Engineering - FHWA

[briansgi]

Originally Posted by Willy-Bill

Wife and I just drove through Galena and it seriously looked like a ghost town. The drive West to Riverton was sad to see.
As a kid in Parsons KS I would sometimes hear of a "cave in" at Galena. I think the environmental issues today would be the only thing that is considered new to the area. I'm not sure that the mining there would have covered huge areas of surface area. It's just that the methods and ores were dangerous. Mining in those days was poorly regulated if at all.
We would sometimes hear of sick miners from that area.
Galena, Kansas - A Lead Mining Maven
Mining History in Kansas - Geotechnical Hazards Training & Workshops - Geotechnical Engineering - FHWA

Willy Bill, my wife (Packwood) is from Parsons, I grew up outside St. Paul on the game refuge. Parsons is becoming a ghost town too it would appear.

[Willy-Bill]

Hi Brianspi,
Good people come from Parsons I remember the name Packwood but don't know them personally.
Yes, we visit friends and kin several times a year in Parsons. The decline in the upkeep of neighborhoods is horrible. I can't tell that any codes are enforced at all. The downtown area is much improved but the town is definitely on the decline in general.
It's only a small town in the USA with limited opportunities for locals and people like me who actually would move back in a heartbeat.
It's odd that a lot of these towns spend the kind of money they do on Industrial parks while letting the interior of the city rot.
I used to deer hunt near the refuge. I also remember the great fishing when it first opened.

[maryfromkansas]

Yes, the Purple Parrot (I think that was the name) on Main Street was devoured by a mine pit. But things are looking up. There is a new, very nice casino a few miles from Galena and I can see improvements starting to happen. The Lucky Miner (variety store and deli) has a new face lift. A couple of new restaurants have been added. A few years ago lawns were scraped out and filled with new dirt and sod. There are still tons of crappy houses and mobiles but I think the future looks bright. I have one rental house in Galena and am thinking about buying another one. I hope the trend continues, we'll see. I'll keep you posted.

[flossyflo]

the bar on main was the green parrot..the other i just can't remember..i can see it but can't remember, geezz i think i just went brain dead..lolol