Evaluating the top counties for their potential for gold discovery can be done by examining several important factors, including historical production, modern mining activity, availability of water, and whether land is open to prospecting. One effective way to consider all of these factors at once is to follow the footsteps of modern experts in the field, the miners and prospectors who are already finding gold.
The White Pine Silver Rush
Deep in what was a vast wilderness in eastern Nevada, the White Pine district experienced one of the most intense and short-lived mining excitements in the history of the American West. What began as a modest discovery in the mid-1860s escalated into a boom that drew thousands of miners, speculators, and investors to the heights of Treasure Hill.
The Farwell Ditch
This little-known history of the Farwell Ditch in the Hahn’s Peak Mining District (located approximately thirty miles north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado) was provided by author Nolan Farwell, a distant relative of John V. Farwell, for whom the ditch was named.
The Lost Burro Mine is located in Inyo County California, within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. The mine was discovered in 1907 and was worked intermittently by several owners until the 1970s.
Seven Troughs, Nevada: The Long Tunnel
Seven Troughs was a well-known Nevada gold mining district that saw its most productive years from 1907 to 1917. By the 1920s the district was largely idle, until an ambitious tunnel project was proposed to make mining economical once more and revive the district. This is the story of the “Long Tunnel” at what is now known as the Tunnel Camp site.
The Belcher Mine: 1870s Mining Methods of the Comstock Lode
Using the fascinating ca. 1876 illustration of the Belcher mine workings by T. L. Dawes, this article examines some of the mining methods employed in the mines of Nevada’s Comstock Lode.
Historic Silver Ingots: 19th Century Treasures
The ingots produced by the mines of the West’s great silver districts are some of the only remaining artifacts from from a bygone era of Western mining. As some of the few surviving artifacts from these camps, they are now prized by collectors. This article takes a look at silver ingots that have sold at auction over the last couple decades.
The Nevada Belmont Mine and Mill
What is now known as the Belmont mine was previously referred to as the Nevada Belmont and was operated by the Tonopah-Belmont Exploration Company. The mine was a lead producer, and only recorded production in 1926.
Stagecoach travel in Colorado was particularly daring, as the narrow roads were often cut into mountainsides, with high passes, hastily built bridges spanning deep ravines, and steep drop-offs only a few feet away.
Member’s Photo Compilation Volume IV
This member’s only photo compilation contains over 100 of the best historical photos from the mining regions of the West.
