A fluorspar operation was started and operated in the early 1900's at Pleasant Grove, off of Hwy.723 S. in Crittenden County, known as the Corn Mines.
(A group of workers from the Corn Mines. Names are unknown)
The mines were started from an out cropping of fluorspar on the side of a hill on the Mary Corn property.
Mining began with pick and shovel at the surface and continued to operate as an open cut.
Tons of fluorspar were mined and washed with a log-washer, then hauled to Marion with wagons and teams to be loaded in a railroad car for shipping.
The operation was financed and carried out at different time by the following people: Gip Watkins, Ross Givens, Gene Guess, Jim Henry, and R. P. Davidson. Their foreman was John W. Corn, who ran the operation for them.
A large quantity of fluorspar could be produced, but the problem of selling the ore was that it was high in silica.
The foreman's time book on July 26, 1915, kept by Jim Henry, showed the employees were paid $1.25 per day and the foreman received $2.00 per day. A week consisted of six working days, and a total of $69.20 was the weekly payroll for all the weekly employees.
Employees were: J. W. Corn, Dallas Jones, Claude Belt, J. J. Watson, Will Dameron, Tom Watson, Tom Jones, Joe Curnel, Evans Ingram, Marshall Tharp, Albert Sweat, and L. Barker.
Farmers could work at the mines during the summer after crops were laid by. This extra work served the community with income for their families. The crew consisted of about twelve men at all times.
This interesting piece of our history was taken from the Crittenden County History Book, Volume I.
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