Shut-ins sprawl along the St. Francis River near Silver Mines Recreation Area in the Mark Twain National Forest.
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For nearly 500 years, legends — usually of Spanish colonial origin — of a lost silver mine have spread across Missouri. Many have searched for this mythical site, yet no historical bonanza has been found. Enticing prospectors for centuries is the fact that silver is among the precious metals that can be extracted in Missouri.
“Silver is associated with the lead mines in Missouri,” said Cheryl Seeger, a geologist with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Missouri Geological Survey. “In fact, Missouri is usually one of the top 10 silver producing states in the United States.”
One of the most well-known versions of the lost mine legend looks to the expedition of Spanish conquistador Hernando de Soto for inspiration. De Soto entered what is today Arkansas in 1542 in search of treasure and plunder. One of his confirmed encampments is preserved at Parkin Archeological State Park in Arkansas.
Legend holds that a detachment from de Soto’s camp scouted north into what is now Missouri. Somewhere in the hills, they discovered a significant silver vein in a cave and excavated a fortune. They then sealed the cavern shut before traveling back south to inform de Soto of the find. One by one, the detachment greedily turned on each other, until murder left only a single maimed survivor to make it back alive. He later died, but not before telling de Soto of the hidden cave.
There are other versions of this legend set in more specific locations. Records can be found for supposed lost mines near Galena, Harrisonville, Warrensburg and Stone County’s Bread Tray Mountain. Perhaps the most forlorn prospector is Frank Tyrrell, who obtained a degree in geology and for years searched unsuccessfully for a lost silver mine in Shannon County.
Seeger advises prospectors that what silver exists in Missouri isn’t crystallized into easy-to-find veins or nuggets.
“Missouri doesn’t have native silver,” Seeger said. “Within the Silver Mines area, the silver you’ll find is contained in the crystal matrix of galena. It’s in what’s called argentiferous galena. In the Viburnum Trend, the silver is contained in the crystal matrix of sphalerite, which is a zinc-bearing mineral.
“I’ve always thought these lost silver mine legends are probably rooted in what galena looks like. People would find it and assume they’d found silver, only to be disappointed when it was tested. Ironically, there’s a chance it did contain silver, but you wouldn’t know that until you smelted it.”
Those looking for reality in this legend can visit the Mark Twain National Forest’s Silver Mines Recreation Area for an education. Its land was formerly home to a productive silver and tungsten mine that operated until 1946. You can hike to the mine’s old dam and see other ruins at the campground. The recreation area also has some of the finest shut-ins in Missouri, located along the St. Francis River.
