Gertrude Sober, the “Queen of the Arbuckles,” discovered the Southwest Davis Zinc Field in Oklahoma.​

In 1907, Gertrude and Dr. R.C. Hope began prospecting together for minerals in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma. They visited the area many times, riding back and forth on horseback, their hammers slung over the saddle horns. One hot August day in 1909, Gertrude spotted what looked like zinc in a fragment of rock. This was the discovery of what turned out to be the Southwest Davis Zinc Field. She then formed a mining company where she served as president and R.C. as director. The company closed in 1913, and Gertrude bought an interest in the Bellah Mine in Sevier County, Arkansas.​

Gertrude Sober enrolled in the University of Oklahoma and in 1933, at the age of 64, she received her Bachelor of Science in geology. Five years later she published a geological paper on Noble County, Oklahoma.​

Gertrude Sober exhibited personal and professional courage and laid the foundation for women in mining. For this reason her legacy lives on.​

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