Historic Drive and Cemetery
While at Maramec Spring Park, take a scenic drive along the historic Stringtown Road, explore and hike around the old Maramec Iron Mine, and visit the Maramec Village Cemetery.
Stringtown Road
Constructed around 1824 and expanded in 1826 to serve the iron workers and its residents, Stringtown Road originally stretched from St. Genevieve, MO, to Springfield, MO. Named for the line of cabins strung along its route, it played a crucial role in transporting wood and charcoal to the iron works, carrying iron products to market, and serving as a route for westward travel. The road retains much of its 1800s character, despite the absence of the original cabins. While traveling along Stringtown Road, carefully read the signs posted at each housing site to learn about the history left behind.
This historic road also served as the primary route between Maramec Spring Park and St. James, Missouri, connecting the park’s 19th-century Maramec Iron Works to the nearby community. However, its historical importance stretches far deeper, as it was also a section of the infamous Trail of Tears.
In 1838 and 1839, approximately 10,000 Cherokee people were forcibly removed from their ancestral lands in the Southeastern United States and made to traverse over 1,000 miles to designated Indian Territory in present-day Oklahoma. This forced relocation, known as the Trail of Tears, led to immense suffering and loss of life due to harsh conditions, disease, and exposure.
Stringtown Road was part of the northern route of the Trail of Tears, one of several paths taken by different groups of Cherokee during this tragic chapter in American history. As the Cherokee passed through what is now Maramec Spring Park, they encountered the rugged beauty of the Ozarks, but the journey was anything but serene. The road stands as a somber witness to their resilience and the hardships they endured.
Today, Stringtown Road serves as a physical and symbolic connection to the past. Visitors to Maramec Spring Park can walk or drive along this historic road, reflecting on the lives and stories of those who traveled it long before. Interpretive signs and educational programs within the park help to preserve the memory of the Cherokee’s journey, ensuring that future generations understand the significance of this historic route.
Maramec Village Cemetery 1858-1882
This cemetery serves as the final resting place for approximately 250 individuals associated with the Maramec Iron Works. Many graves belong to children who succumbed to diseases resulting from unsanitary living conditions in the 1800s. With limited medical resources and preventive measures, children often didn’t receive regular healthcare, contributing to large families and high child mortality rates. Notably, the wrought iron-fenced graves mark the final resting place of five out of twelve children of Albert and Nancy Long. These young lives tragically ended between the ages of 2 months and 14 years.
Maramec Iron Mine
The main iron ore body, 225 feet in diameter and about 80 feet deep, lay just below the surface. Mining, primarily open pit, or strip mining, involved removing overlying soil, digging out the ore, and hauling it away and did not involve underground tunnels. Over its fifty years in operation, the mine yielded approximately 375,000 tons of iron ore. Wagons, pulled by oxen or mules, transported the ore to the furnace, which consumed between twelve and thirty tons per day. By the late 1800s, the mine’s iron ore was nearly depleted, leaving behind poor soil. Over the past century, the soil has improved, supporting plant life like pine, sycamore, blackberry, and mullein.
The mine area, lacking cover for larger animals, is home to reptiles, especially visible during cooler hours. Other animals, like deer and red foxes, occasionally traverse the area, and birds can be spotted seeking berries and seeds in the morning.