Pete

In the early 1800s, slavery was firmly entrenched in many parts of the United States, including Missouri. Enslaved Africans had been forcibly brought across the Atlantic and within the country for generations, laboring in fields, workshops, and mines without recognition or rights.

During the 1830s, settlers moved into the isolated communities of Jasper and Newton Counties, arriving primarily from Kentucky, North Carolina, and Tennessee after the forced removal of the Osage and Delaware peoples. Over the next two decades, approximately 2,000 families—more than 8,400 people—established small farms along rivers and creeks. Some of these settlers enslaved people. By 1850, 123 individuals enslaved a total of 454 people, with most enslavers owning three or fewer individuals.

Although these numbers were small compared to those in the Deep South, enslaved labor was essential to the region’s development and to the wealth of settlers such as John C. Cox and William Tingle. Local stories and historical records indicate that Pete, a "boy" enslaved by Cox and one of three people he held in bondage, was the person who discovered the lead deposit that would shape the region’s future. This discovery set the stage for significant economic growth. Pete was known to work side by side with Cox and his sons, helping to build a house and later operating the mine. It has been said that Pete carried out nearly all of the mining work on that land. His labor was so well known that Cox’s neighbors referred to the site as “Nigger Diggings.”

Despite his central role, Pete’s full name was never recorded. He was identified simply as “Pete” or, more often, as Cox’s enslaved person—a common practice of the time. Those familiar with his work stated that he produced approximately five tons of lead over a five-year period. Cox purchased his first land title, forty acres, in January 1849 and steadily expanded his holdings over the next decade. During this time, he did not increase the number of people he enslaved, yet he became one of the wealthiest farmers in Jasper County.

Other enslaved workers, held by settlers such as Tingle and McKee, also played critical roles in early lead production. They assisted in smelting and extracting lead from shallow shafts, often under grueling conditions that required hours of manual labor with picks and shovels. Others, including Pete—who was brought to the area by Tingle from Maryland—were entrusted with overseeing the delivery of pig lead. Pete managed freight wagons, mule teams, contracts, money, and merchandise, responsibilities that required skill and trust. Their labor sustained the wealth of early settlers, though they themselves received no recognition, credit, or wages. It is said that at the end of the Civil War, Tingle gave Pete money and a team of animals and sent him to Kansas as a free man.

Historical records suggest that Pete’s discovery, along with the labor of other enslaved workers, contributed to the production of thousands of pounds of lead and laid the foundation for the region’s later mining success. Yet their names and lives were rarely documented, preserved only through fragments of records and local memory.

Today, it is essential to acknowledge both their contributions and the injustices they endured. We must work to fill the gaps in the historical record with truth—recognizing the enslaved labor, knowledge, and skill that helped build this town—and ensure these stories are researched, documented, and included in our shared history. Confronting this past honestly is a necessary step toward justice and understanding, so future generations can learn the full story of the land and the people who shaped it.