fluorspar

Volunteers at the 1926 Hudson Mine cave-in enter an abandoned shaft to see if five trapped miners could be reached from an old level. The photo appeared in B.J. May's 1999 book recapping the incident, and was reprinted in a book given to attendees at the centennial celebration of the rescue.

History

Western Ky. community celebrates 100 years since rescue of miners buried alive for nearly a week

Hannah Saad

Wednesday marked the 100th anniversary of the rescue of five western Kentucky men who were trapped underground after a Livingston County zinc and fluorspar mine caved in, burying them alive without food for more than six days.

Slight chemical impurities in fluorspar, also known as fluorite, can make the mineral appear in a variety of colors. Fluorspar is considered a critical mineral by the federal government due in part to its role in producing technology for artificial intelligence data centers and electric vehicle batteries.

Business & Economy

Fluorspar mining put Crittenden County on the map 100 years ago. Its importance to AI tech is driving interest in the area again

Lily Burris

The largest known deposit of the critical mineral fluorspar in the United States is underneath parts of far western Kentucky and southern Illinois. Some say its applications in artificial intelligence could reawaken the region’s mining industry.

Business & Economy

Livingston Co. Fluorspar Mine 2 Years Behind Schedule

Allison Crawford

Five years after Kentucky’s first fluorspar mine in 20 years opened in Livingston County its owners are still trying to get it up and going. Hastie…