Granby

Our history is as colorful as any mining boom town of the era and you have
only to walk down Main Street still graced by several turn of the century buildings
with high false fronts and covered porches to get the feeling of the old days.
It’s easy to imagine the miners who prospered in places with names like the
Klondike, the Morning Glory and the Golden Rule, coming to town for supplies,
to socialize and to raise a little cain. And the people here love to remember.
Granby holds Old Mining Town Days every summer with a three-day, 4th of July
celebration that draws thousands of visitors for a slice of pure Americana.
There simply isn’t an event quite like it anywhere anywhere else in the region.

In the early 1800’s a man named Madison Vickery discovered lead while digging
for water. News of Vickery’s strike, around 1850, spread quickly. The resulting
flood of prospectors was so wild the time came to be known as the Granby Stampede.
By 1855, Granby’s air was ringing with the sounds of picks and shovels against
the rocky hillsides. The population swelled to 8,000. By 1859, over 25 million
tones of lead had been shipped from Granby mines. Granby had the largest lead
mining and smelting operations in the state and was one of the most important
lead resources in the country.

During the civil war, both North and South came to Granby for ammunition. Granby
lead flew both ways during the Civil War. In October of 1862, the Battle of
Granby finally established Union control of the mines, though the smelter was
destroyed in the fighting. After the war, mining resumed with a fury, aided
by new technology and improved rail transportation. Gradually, the people put
down more than shafts into the red loam and rocks; they put down roots.

The mines thrived through the first and second World Wars, but when the payable
ore deposits began to run out, many people stayed on. They had found something
more valuable than mineral deposits. They had discovered that Granby was a good
place to live. The natural beauty and bounty of wild life and fresh water still
draws people to Granby. Granby offers the benefits of quiet neighborhoods, down-to-earth
community values, good schools and lots of churches, all with a wealth of world-class
entertainment, recreation, employment and educational opportunities just minutes
away.

Located on US Highway 60, Granby is a gateway to the Ozark;s playground in
the Branson area.