Treece is an abandoned former mining town in Kansas state, which was in the former central Tri-state mining district. The town was the main producer of lead and other minerals in the heydays until the middle of the 1900s. Treece was abandoned and declared a ghost town by late 2012 to date.

The boom

Treece towns were the early 20th century towns that developed when the region was declared a tri-state area. Being in the tri-state area meant that the government would provide all the amenities required for efficient and safe mining together with transportation of valuable minerals to other parts of the country. For that reason, the railroad and post offices were established in every mining camp and community. The few mines that got lucky were given grants to help set up better and more profitable mines.

Though it was not among the towns that were given grants, Treece did fairly well in terms of development and production. At one point, it was ranked the best in terms of production. Treece together with neighboring Picher is the town that was known to have made fortune during their operations on lead mining alone. Five years into its existence, the population of the town was above 9000 residents and 40 percent were miners. Treece is one of the towns that hosted residents of Picher when they were relocated because of lead poisoning.

Poisoned Treece

Just like its neighbor Picher, the lead mineral that drew people to Treece is the same that led to its closure after over 9 decades of exploitation. After the world war, most mines of the tri-state area had been depleted and others shut down during the war. Since Treece was among the best mines in the region, it was never closed and continued to operate even after the World Wars. Being the only town relied on to produce lead, it did not take long before its mines too were exhausted.

The town soldiered on but by the 1950s most mines had been shut and miners from the various mines relocated. This left only a few diehards that found it heartbreaking to leave their beloved town. By 2010, some residents were still residing in the town. They were all later on compensated and relocated after the town was found to be contaminated. A couple who refused the compensation money soon and refused to leave died from lead poisoning.

Treece ghost town

Treece is an official ghost town declared by the state of Kansas in 2012. Most of its buildings were demolished to reduce contamination in the townsite. Currently, under the Environmental Protection Agency, efforts to remedy the contamination have not been that successful. It is not only expensive but the local government seems to not give much attention to the situation. The area is still highly poisonous and tourists are discouraged from visiting or getting near the town.