This book documents the history of two celebrated mines in Sussex County, New Jersey, through the eyes of those who lived it. The two mines, consolidated in 1897 under the New Jersey Zinc Company, were recognised world-wide for their diverse and magnificent mineral deposits and are acknowledged as the birthplace of the US zinc industry. At its peak of operations in Sussex County in the first half of the 20th century, the Zinc Company employed over 2000 hourly workers. The Company developed the towns of Franklin and Ogdensburg for the miners, and one of them, Franklin, became known as the 'model mining town of America'. The book is divided into three parts: The Mines and the Miners; The Model Mining Town of America; and The Legacy and the Future. In the first two parts, the narratives explore the positive and negative aspects of life in the mines and in the company towns. In these sections, the author compares the lives of Zinc Company miners to those of other hard-rock miners in the US. The third part looks at the continuing educational impact of the mines, including the influence on the development of local museums and on the Smithsonian Institution's mine exhibit that opened in 1997.
Although Ms. Papa earned a BA in history from Rutgers University, her interest in people and their history was further sharpened during thirty years of living in foreign countries with her husband who was on assignment with the US Diplomatic Corps. When the Papas retired to New Jersey, she became immersed in her own country's past. She worked with a local history society to save, restore and establish a museum in a one-room schoolhouse dating back nearly two centuries. The Old Monroe School Museum received several awards under her directorship.
In addition to "The Carousel Keepers" and "A Mile Deep and Black as Pitch" Ms. Papa's historical writings include "Stones and Stories: An Oral History of the Old Monroe School," and "The Old Monroe Schoolhouse nterpretive Guide." She also authored two religious books: "Prayers of a Young Addict" and "The Brightest Star of All: Christmas Stories for the Family." Her historical and religious writings have appeared in national publications.
Recently widowed, but still writing, this 84 year old grandmother is now working on another historical book "Bicentennial Voices: An Oral History of the Celebration" She lives in Bridgewater, NJ, near her daughter and grandchildren.
