May 2016

     The Ducktown Museum covers the history of the copper mining area known as the copper basin located in an area in southern Tennessee near the Georgia state line where copper was mined for many years.  Copper was discovered in 1843 near Ducktown and the area grew in population as several mines opened.  Trees were cut and used to fuel the smelting of the ore.  This released sulfur dioxide into the air.  The area's vegetation cover was killed by the sulfur fumes.  The area was soon void of all vegetation.  With no vegetation the hills eroded away with each rainfall.  Over 32,000 acres became a desert.

     At the turn of the century a breakthrough in technology allowed the sulfur dioxide gas to be recovered in the form of sulfuric acid, needed in the fertilizer industry.  This greatly reduced the amount of fumes being released and made it possible to begin reclamation of the area.  In the 1930s revegetation work began.  Over the years more than 16 million trees have been planted to reclaim the land.  Grass seeds and legume seeds have been spread over the area by helicopter.

     The museum covers the history of the mining towns and mines.  The last mine closed in 1987.

        View of part of the copper basin from the museum.