The image above illustrates the incredible scale of the mining regions of the western United States. Yellow dots are gold mines, black dots are non-gold mines. Map icons show the distribution of historic mining towns. An interactive version of this map is available here.
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WMH Premium Image Collection
The WMH Premium Image Collection showcases the best photos of western mining scenes. The photos in this collection are available as high-resolution digital copies for purchase
Featured Mining Town: Belmont, Nevada
Belmont was established after silver discoveries in 1865 in what was known as the Silver Bend or Philadelphia district. News of high-grade surface ores with values up to $3,000 a ton started a rush to Belmont in 1866, drawing many miners away from Austin and other early Nevada mining camps. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Tombstone, Arizona
Tombstone, Arizona is best known for the Earp brothers, Doc Holliday, and the gunfight at the OK Corral. While most people probably know that Tombstone was a mining town, the fact that it was one of the West's largest silver bonanza's has been overshadowed by the famous events surrounding the legendary gun battle. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Trinidad, Colorado
Trinidad was one of the West's most significant mining cities. This was the center of Colorado's most important coal mining region, and the riches that flowed out of the mines built a substantial business district, most of which remains today. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Granite, Colorado
Granite, Colorado was a busy stage stop and then a town starting in the mid 1860s. Although overshadowed by the boom at Leadville, Granite nevertheless became an important transportation hub and mining community for many decades. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Angels Camp, California
Angels Camp was the site of rich placer deposits that were discovered in 1848. This was one of California's earliest, and most important settlements. The town declined after the placer gold was played out, but by the 1890s the area had rebounded as a significant hard-rock mining center. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Durango, Colorado
Durango was established in 1880 as a railroad hub serving the mines of the San Juan Mountains. The town soon became a regional smelting center, and by 1900 was evolving into the western Colorado's most important city. Continue Reading
The Twenty Mule Teams of Death Valley
"The Twenty Mule Teams of Death Valley" presents text and diagrams from a series of reports by the Historic American Engineering Record. Included are historical images of these iconic western wagon teams. Continue Reading
History of Mojave Desert Borax Mining
Mojave Desert borax was first made famous in the late 1800s by by the Twenty Mule Team wagon trains that were used to transport it across the desert. Over 140 years later, borax is still an important mined commodity in Southern California. Continue Reading
Mining in the Black Hills
"Mining in the Black Hills" provides an overview of the geography and history of mining and mining communities in the Black Hills. Included are historic and modern maps of the mining towns and districts of this famous mining region. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Berlin, Nevada
During its heyday, Berlin and its Union suburbs supported 200-250 people including miners, woodcutters, charcoal makers, a doctor and nurse, a forest ranger and a prostitute. Continue Reading
