The WMH Nevada Mining Atlas is designed for use with Google Earth Pro. Included are over 450 metallic mining district location polygons (compiled by the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology), divided into views by mined commodity. The package also includes mine locations from the USGS MRDS database, divided into views by primary commodity value.
Western Mining History distributes location data on active mining claims based on data retrieved from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) MLRS application. The purpose of this guide is to aid in the understanding of what the BLM claims data is useful for, and how to use the data to assist in your research. Note:
The Vulture Mine, near Wickenburg, Arizona could be the central character in a dime novel. Its myths, legends, and facts have and continue to stir the imagination. Stories of ghosts, men, and animals lost in the “Glory Hole”, Indian attacks, bullion robberies, gold fortunes, lost veins, and personalities as grand and sweeping as the desert winds are part of Arizona history
Numerous gold and silver rushes were the primary factor in the initial settlement of the western states. Thousands of mining camps were formed, but most only lasted a few months or a few years before the residents packed up and moved on to the next rush or a more prosperous town with greater opportunity. Some
Western Museum of Mining and Industry (WMMI) is an organization that works to preserve the mining history of the western United States. The 27 acre facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado contains over 5,000 mining-related artifacts. The photos in this post represent just a small part of the numerous fascinating exhibits at this incredible facility. Pictured
Most dogs on the western frontier were considered working dogs, but as the photos in this collection demonstrate, they were also reliable and cherished companions to miners and prospectors.
With over 22,000 historical mine locations in the USGS MRDS database of mines, California has more gold mines that the next top four gold states combined. California was also the largest gold producing state up to 1965 with over 100 million ounces produced. In recent decades other states have overtaken California in total gold production,
WMH Gold Maps for Google Earth Pro are designed to locate areas with high potential for finding placer gold. A core feature of these maps is the highlighting of townships that contain both active placer mining claims and historical gold mines. The screenshot below uses data from the Arizona Gold Map and shows gold-bearing PLSS
While the miners and prospectors that opened the vast American West are known for the log cabins they often used for shelter, some of the more eccentric dwellings they built are lesser known but equally interesting. “Miners Cabins: Bottles, Barrels, and Dugouts” takes a look at some of the more eccentric dwellings used by early miners.
The hanging flume is is a five mile section of wooden flume that was built on the sheer cliffs of the San Miguel and Dolores Rivers in the canyon country of western Colorado. Built over a three-year period from 1888 to 1891, the flume was 150 feet or more above the canyon floor and was
