One of a few cities that had to be evacuated due to health hazards caused by mining, Picher was once a major source for lead and zinc. Picher saw its beginning around 1913 when the two metals were discovered in the area. Mining work started soon after that. At its peak in 1926, the population grew to 14,252 residents, however, in the following decades, the number dwindled as mining activity decreased. By 1960, the number of people living in the city was 2,553. As the mines were abandoned, the contamination left behind was so severe that by 2006, the government decided to close Picher and relocate its residents. Gary Linderman, the city's pharmacist, vowed to stay as long as there was anyone left who needed him and to be the last one out of the city. He died in 2015 at age 60 after a sudden illness as the last resident of Picher.