Following the discovery of coal in Cherokee and Crawford Counties in the late 1860's, thousands of workers came to the Weir-Pittsburg Coalfield, most of them immigrants from Europe representing more than fifty nationalities. Many passed through Ellis Island and arrived by railroad before moving on to the coal camps, seeking work, freedom from repression, or a new life in America. Instead of the promised paradise, they found harsh and dangerous conditions, digging coal on their hands and knees for ten to twelve hours a day, with many killed, maimed, or later dying of Black Lung Disease. Because mining lasted only part of the year, many miners also established businesses and farms to support their families when the mines were idle. The coalfield eventually included more than one hundred coal camps, and at its height the region produced one-third of the nation's bituminous coal while also smelting lead and zinc ore in quantities that made southeast Kansas an industrial giant. The area's mix of peoples created an ethnic geography unique to Kansas known as The Little Balkans. Miners from these camps also provided voice and leadership in the United Mine Workers' efforts to win the eight-hour work day, safe working conditions, equal pay for equal work, child labor laws, and minority and women's rights. After the mines closed, many camps disappeared, while others became cities, towns, villages, and hamlets, and the miners' legacy endured in their descendants and in the businesses, farms, and communities they established throughout southeast Kansas.