Mines - Madison County, Missouri

Copper mines in the eastern part of St. Michael Township, discovered by Colonel Foster, who secured the interest and capital of a mining company in Ohio in 1846.

The mines were so named because they were developed by men from Ohio, the Buckeye State. (Deguire, Watts, Campbell, Goodspeed)

A small settlement in the northern part of St. Michael Township, which had its origin in the Catherine Lead Mines.

The mine owner, Mr. Cantwell, named the mine for his wife, Catherine Cantwell. BEcause Mr. Cantwell had bought the land from Mr. Schulte whose wife was also name Catherine, but Mr. Joe Schulte, nephew of the Schultes, says it was name for Fatherine Cantwell.

It was formerly called Cathering Place and is sometimes so written now, but the most common form is Catherine. The mine have changed owners and are now known as the Fredericktown Mines. (Shutle, Waggoner)

A famous mine in the central part of La Motte Township, probably the oldest mine in Missouri. It is still a matter of contention among historians as to how old the mines are and for whomthey were named.

On one side are those who believe that the mines were discovered by Philip Francis Renault in 1720. Renault had left France in 1719 with 200 artisans to look for silver in this territory which then belonged to France. He stopped in St. Domingo and bought 500 slaves. With this group of 700 people he came up the river from New Orleans, stopped near Fort Chartres,Illinois, and sent out exploring expeditions.

One man in his company was LaMotte, a mineralogist. On one of these expeditions Mine La Motte was discovered. In 1723 Renault got a concession of "two leagues of ground at the mine called Mine de la Mothe." Then, according to this group Renault,not having found the silver for which he was searching, returned to France.

LaMotte remained and the lead mine was developed, attracting little attention,however, for many years.

According to the second group, the mine was really discovered in 1714 by Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, who came to Canada in 1683, established a post in 1701 at what was later Detroit, was appointed Governor-General of Louisiana in 1710, came to New Orleans in 1712, and visited Fort de Chartres in 1714. While there he went on an expedition of explorationand discovered lead at the place which is now Mine La Motte.

This group, then, place the date of discovery in 1714 and say the mine was named for La Mothe (or Motte), Cadillac and not the mineralogist who happened to be in Renault's party. This, they argue, is why Renault came, the Governor-General reported his discovery of mineral and Renault organized his party at La Mothe Cadillac'sinsistence.

Schoolcraft, who made a report on mines in the Illinois Country in1819, believed the mines were discovered by Renault and La Motte. He is copied by Beck (1823), Peck (1831), and Wetmore (1837). Houck, however, insisted he had records to prove it was De la Mothe Cadillac who discovered the mine, whereasSchoolcraft had merely asserted a La Motte was with Renault.

Later, localhistorians, among them Thompson, have concluded that there were the two men andthat the mine was named for La Motte Cadillac.

The mine was puiblic property1738-40. In 1763 it was worked by members of the Valle family (from Ste. Genevieve), and in 1800 J.B. Pratte, St. Gemme Beauvois, Francis and J.B. Valle purchased the mine from the Valles, to whom the Spanish government had granted it.

In 1827 the grant was confirmed by the U.S. Government and sold in 1838 to C.C. Valle, L.F. Linn and E.E. Pratte who leased the land to miners in 40-acretracts. The entire tract had 24,000 acres.

Since that time the property has changed owners many times, and is now owned by the Fredericktown Mining Company.

The village of Mine La Motte grew up around the mine, as did many other small "villages" or settlements. (Ferguson, Andrews, Thompson, Schoolcraft (1819), Beck (1823), Peck (1831), Wetmore (1837), History of Mine La Motte (pamphlet), Conard, Houck I 279, Douglass I 379, 182)Source:Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

Mines located in the southern part of St. Michael Township, named for the Revielle family, who owned the mines. (Andrews)

See SilvermineSource:Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

A small village in the southern part of Polk Township. A post office known as Einstein Silver Mine was established in 1886 and maintained under that name until 1893, since when it has been Silver Mine or Silvermine.

It had its origin in a discovery of silver made by Hiram N. Tong while following turkey tracks.

He bought the land and put men to work in 1862; the results were encouraging enough to interest William Einstein, a capitalist, who bought out Tong and in 1877 organized the Silver Mountain Mining Company and began operations. He planned to use water power and built a dam across St. Francois River, which is still in existence and the road to which is still called The Mill Dam Road.

The silver mines are no longer operated. (Ferguson, Waggoner, Stevens II: 388- 390, W.P.A. Guide)Source:Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis., University of Missouri-Columbia, 1938.

Hamlett, Mayme L. "Place Names Of Six Southeast Counties Of Missouri." M.A. thesis.,

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