Famous Mineral Localities: The Ray Mine
From the The Mineralogical Record Volume 14, No. 5, September-October 1983: “Since mining first began in the Ray area more than 100 years ago, over two billion dollars in ore and thousands of fine mineral specimens have been removed. Superb examples of native copper, cuprite and chrysocolla are still being discovered and preserved.”
In Montana, 54 mining districts have each have produced more than 10,000 ounces of gold. The largest producers are Butte, Helena, Marysville, and Virginia City, each having produced more than one million ounces. Twenty seven other districts are each credited with between 100,000 and one million ounces of gold production.
Gathering Gold: The Mines of Bobtail Hill
“Gathering Gold – An Illustrated Treatise on Modern Methods of Operating Gold Mines and Marketing Their Product” by General Frank Hall gives a fascinating look at the mines of Bobtail Hill at Blackhawk, Colorado around 1900.
The Mines and Minerals of Darwin California
From the Mineralogical Record, Volume 15, No. 1, January-February 1984: “The Darwin district has been a source of lead, silver and tungsten for over 100 years, and nearly 100 different mineral species have been found there. Its long history and interesting mineralogy have made the area popular with California mining historians, economic geologists and mineral collectors.”
Goldfield, Nevada: The Arthur Allen Albums
Photographer Arthur Allen captured many important scenes from Goldfield, Nevada’s peak years – from the budding camp that was just a collection of tents in the fall of 1903, to the thriving community that was described as “The World’s Greatest Gold Camp”, and was Nevada’s largest city by the middle of the decade. “Goldfield, Nevada: The Arthur Allen Albums” presents over 100 photos of the city, the mines, and cultural events that occurred during Goldfield’s boom years.
Published in the 2016 Mining History JournalBy Larry Godwin Click here to download the notes for this article Silver Lake, which early settlers called Arrastra Lake, lies in a basin at the head of Arrastra Creek, four miles southeast of Silverton, Colorado, near the center of the Las Animas Mining District, in what was then
Famous Mineral Localities: The Glove Mine
From the The Mineralogical Record, Volume 14, No. 5, September-October, 1983: “From 1955 to 1959 the Glove mine, in the Santa Rita Mountains, produced thousands of fine wulfenite specimens. A variety of attractive colors and distinctive habits qualify this wulfenite as among Arizona’s best.”
The Colorado Mining Directory of 1883 called Leadville the “natural successor to Australia and California.” In the century since that statement was made, interest has never waned and production has never entirely ceased. Not only valuable ore but also fine mineral specimens have been recovered and preserved from many of the nearly 2000 mines in the Leadville area.
Death Valley’s Harmony Borax Works operated during the 1880s. The borax operations of Death Valley made the “20 Mule Teams”, the wagon trains that hauled the finished borax across the desert, famous in American culture.
Photos from the Thunder Mountain Gold Rush in Idaho
The rush to Thunder Mountain in early 1902 was one of the most significant events in Idaho mining history, and one of the West’s most harrowing survival stories. A site visitor donated an album of photos from the area during the height of the excitement here around 1902. The photos have been restored and are presented here for supporting members.
