Arkansas mining town’s population plunged from 3,000 to 344 by 1920

Rush, Arkansas, grew from a zinc mining settlement into a community of up to 3,000 residents during the mining boom associated with the First World War. Rising demand for zinc, used in brass for weapons and ammunition, helped drive production at Rush Mountain between 1911 and 1918. However, the boom was short-lived. After the war, falling zinc prices forced mines to close, and the town’s population dropped to 344 by 1920. Mining eventually ended at the Morning Star Mine in 1931, but remnants of the industry, including abandoned mines, buildings and mill ruins, remain within the Rush Historic District along the Buffalo River.How did Rush, Arkansas, transport zinc oreAs mining operations grew, Rush developed into a community that supported the workforce. According to the NPS, the town expanded to include offices, hotels, barns, shops, a courthouse and a post office. Mills were constructed where mining companies worked through the richest zinc deposits. These facilities processed the extracted ore, separating valuable minerals from waste before the material was transported onwards.The mining district also developed its own transport infrastructure. The NPS explains that elevated tramw...