Pittsburg to host national mining history conference

PITTSBURG, Kan. – For the first time ever, the Mining History Association (MHA) will hold its national conference between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River. The Mining History Association’s 36th Annual Conference is scheduled for May 28-31, 2026 in Pittsburg and will include guided field trips across the Weir-Pittsburg Coal Field and the Tri-State District of Oklahoma. Registration for one-day tickets or the full conference is open to both MHA members and locals who want to learn more about their region’s history.

Mining is a key component of modern living. Any resource not grown likely came from the ground, and mining was the dominant industry for more than 100 years in Southeast Kansas, Southwest Missouri, and Northeast Oklahoma. While mines have been closed for around 50 years, its influence is everywhere, from memorials and museums to surface coal mines that have been reclaimed and are now used for outdoor recreation.

Conference details and registration are available at www.MiningHistoryAssociation.org

The Southeast Kansas Coal Country Field Trip is scheduled for Thursday, May 28, followed by an Opening Reception at the Joplin History & Mineral Museum. Education and an Awards Banquet will be held Friday, May 29, at the Crimson & Gold Ballroom on the campus of Pittsburg State University and will include presentations by Crawford County Historical Museum in Pittsburg, Franklin’s Miners Hall Museum, Frontenac’s Heritage Hall Museum, Girard History Museum, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Surface Mining Unit, and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks Mined Lind Wildlife office. Education will continue on Saturday, May 30, and will include a Presidential Luncheon. Sunday, May 31 is the Tri-State District of Oklahoma Field Trip, which will include a stop in Picher, Oklahoma.

The Mining History Association is an organization of individuals interested in the history of mining and metallurgy from a variety of perspectives including the science, technology, environment, reclamation, and the people that make it happen and the laws that protect them. MHA members include independent scholars, laypersons, college and university professors, historians, miners, geologists, retired mining industry personnel, and many others.

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From the Mining History Association