Rush Cultural Landscape Report

Rush Historic District in Buffalo National River preserves the remains of the mining community that first developed in the 1880s when zinc deposits were discovered in the rock outcrops of Rush Mountain. The community grew from individual prospectors' digs to full-scale industrial zinc mining that contained vast room-and-pillar mines, zinc concentrating mills, and support structures. The start of World War I brought new demand for zinc, which led to a mining boom with ten different companies operating fourteen separate mines in the area. Falling prices for zinc after the war's end meant closures of several mines, with the last one - New White Eagle Mine - closing in 1962. The Cultural Landscape Report will explore alternatives for improving the condition of the remaining structures and surrounding landscape, and also propose new ways to bring the stories alive for visitors.