Editing Picher, Oklahoma (section)

=== Mining origins ===
In 1913, as the [[Tri-State district]] expanded, lead and zinc were discovered on Harry Crawfish's claim, and mining began. A townsite developed overnight around the new workings and was named Picher in honor of O. S. Picher, owner of [[Eagle-Picher|Picher Lead Company]]. The city was incorporated in 1918, and by 1920, Picher had a population of 9,726. Peak population occurred in 1926 with 14,252 residents.<ref name="OSU">{{cite web |title=Tri-State Lead and Zinc District &#124; The Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture |url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry.php?entry=TR014 |website=www.okhistory.org}}</ref>

The Picher area became the most productive lead-zinc mining field in the Tri-State district, producing over $20 billion worth of ore between 1917 and 1947. More than fifty percent of the lead and zinc used during [[World War I]] was extracted from the Picher district. At its peak more than 14,000 miners worked the mines and another 4,000 worked in mining services. Many workers commuted by an extensive [[interurban]] [[Northeast Oklahoma Railroad|trolley system]] from as far away as [[Joplin, Missouri|Joplin]] and [[Carthage, Missouri]].<ref name="OSU" />