Milford Mine, Historic mining site in Crow Wing County, Minnesota

The site features a memorial park with walking trails, interpretive signage, and a 450-foot boardwalk over Milford Lake, commemorating Minnesota's deadliest mining disaster.

First mined in 1917, the Milford Mine reached a depth of 200 feet by 1924 under owner George H. Crosby. On February 5, 1924, a surface cave-in at the eastern end tapped mud connected to Foley Lake, flooding the shaft within 20 minutes and killing 41 miners; seven escaped. The mine closed in 1932 during the Great Depression.

The site became Milford Mine Memorial Park through Crow Wing County development starting in 2010. Visitors find a memorial to the 41 miners, and the story of 15-year-old Frank Hrvatin Jr., who climbed between Matt Kangas' legs on the ladder and pulled Harry Hosford from the water. Thirty-eight of the dead were married, leaving more than 80 children.

The park offers parking facilities, picnic shelters, restrooms, and accessible boardwalks for visitors interested in canoeing, fishing, hiking, and learning about regional mining history.

The disaster prompted statewide mining safety reforms and remains the only Minnesota mine accident where floodwaters from a surface lake completely inundated underground workings within minutes.