2024 National Mining Hall of Fame Inductees. This year’s Induction Banquet and Gala will be held at The Cable Center, Denver, Colorado, on November 2, 2024. Tickets are available through the National Mining Hall of Fame and Museum website. This year’s inductees are Arthur C. Daman (1889-1968), Ronald Gene Dewey (1940-2023), Dale B. Elphinstone, Patrick M. James, and Eero Mäkinen (1896-1953). The 2024 Prazen Living Legend of Mining Award will be presented to Alaska Resource Education.

New Rio Tinto Kennecott Database. Rio Tinto Kennecott has placed online a large collection of records and photographs from its corporate collection and contributions from others. It is called “Kennecott Groundbreakers” and has a lot to offer mining historians and the general public.  It is a work in progress and the developers are seeking contributions on the history of the mines and processing facilities, the people, and communities. It preserves the history of the evolution on mining in the Quirrha Mountains with the Kennecott Bingham Canyon Mine at its heart. However, a little searching revealed that it also contains photos and information on other historic mines including the Highland Boy and Apex, US Smelting Refining and Mining’s US and Lark Mine, the Mercur and Ophir Districts, and the and the International Smelter in Tooele.

Missouri Mining History on Facebook. Those who follow the Mining History Association’s Facebook page will already have discovered Jake Jones’ “Missouri Mining History” contributions. If you attended the 2004 MHA conference in Farmington, MO (MO Old Lead Belt), or are planning to attend the 2026 conference in Pittsburg, KS (Tri-State Mining District, KS, MO, OK), you will enjoy Jake’s Facebook informative and well-illustrated posts.

Donald Duck, Miner and Ironmaster.  The Hagley Museum, Library, and Archives in Wilmington, Delaware, is a gem for tourists and historians alike.  They are located at the site of the well-preserved early DuPont powder mills along scenic Brandywine Creek.  The museum is a treasure trove for those interested in industrial heritage.  The collection of patent models is of particular interest.  The mansion and gardens at the home of DuPont founder, E. I. DuPont, are also open to visitors. http://Hagley.org 

One of its many collections is the photographs and audiovisual materials of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). While searching online for photos of iron mines and furnaces, the writer came across a video of an AISI promotional film, “Steel in America,” by Walt Disney Productions in 1965.  In an unusual role, Donald Duck portrays an ironmaster and miner who guides the viewer through the history of ironmaking in America from the charcoal furnaces of the Colonial period to the taconite mining and steelmaking technology of the 1960s.  It is well done, entertaining, and worth a viewing. CLICK HERE to view.