Placer Gold Deposits of Arizona
Arizona ranks tenth in the United States (eighth in the western continental States) in placer gold production. The U.S. Bureau of Mines cites 500,000 troy ounces of placer gold produced in Arizona from 1792 to 1964. The 1972 publication Placer Gold Deposits of Arizona - Geological Survey Bulletin 1355, gives a historical overview of Arizona's gold placer districts and describes 87 districts that have been placer mined in the state. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Irwin, Colorado
Irwin, Colorado grew into a spectacular city of 5,000 residents in just six months after rich silver discoveries. The great production from the mines could only be maintained for a couple years, and by 1883 Irwin was already in steep decline. Continue Reading
What is a Ghost Town? WMH Town Classifications Explained
While there is not one official definition of what a ghost town is, there has been much discussion on the subject. Wikipedia’s basic definition is as follows: A ghost town is an abandoned village, town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due Continue Reading
The King Solomon Mine
The King Solomon mine, a monolithic structure from a bygone era, stands alone atop the Rand Mountain range, a silent witness to the joys, sorrows and deaths of those who sought the riches from beneath the earth. Cindy Nunn's new book Abandoned California: King Solomon Mine is a history of the mine from its beginnings until shut-down. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Bodie, California
Bodie, California is famous as being the site of the largest and best preserved ghost town in the West. This popular tourist destination was not always a thriving mining camp. Settled in 1861, it took over 15 years for the town to become prosperous after valuable new ore discoveries in 1877 Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Jerome, Arizona
Jerome, Arizona was a major copper mining city located on an improbably steep location on the side of a mountain. This billion-dollar camp was once the fourth largest city in Arizona. Today, Jerome is a popular tourist destination. Continue Reading
