Chilkoot Pass: Firsthand Accounts from the Klondike Gold Rush

Few images of the Klondike Gold Rush are as recognizable as the long lines of stampeders climbing the snow-covered slopes of Chilkoot Pass. During the winter of 1897-98, thousands passed through this narrow gateway on their way to the Yukon, carrying the supplies needed for the long journey to Dawson City and the Klondike goldfields. The firsthand accounts of those who made the difficult climb provide vivid descriptions of one of the defining episodes of the Klondike Gold Rush. Continue Reading

The Ikeda Mine: A Japanese Mining Venture in British Columbia

The Ikeda Mine was one of the most unusual early mining ventures on the coast of British Columbia. Located on the southeastern shore of Moresby Island (now part of Haida Gwaii), it was developed by Japanese entrepreneurs at a time when nearly all of British Columbia’s mining industry was controlled by British, Canadian, or American interests. Continue Reading

Black Oak Mine – Tuolumne County, California

The Black Oak Mine, located near Soulsbyville, California, was a gold producer that operated intermittently from 1878 through the 1920s. These exclusive photographs were provided by a descendant of the mine’s superintendent. Continue Reading

The Mines of Boulder County, Colorado: Photographs by Joseph Sturtevant

Joseph Sturtevant, also known as “Rocky Mountain Joe”, was a professional photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. During his time there, the mining industry in Boulder County was thriving, and he documented much of it in photographs throughout the 1890s and the first decade of the twentieth century. Continue Reading

Where To Find Gold: The Top Ten US Counties

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. Continue Reading

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. Continue Reading

Death Valley’s Lost Burro Mine

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. Continue Reading

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. Continue Reading

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. Continue Reading

Stagecoach Photos From Mining-Era Colorado

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. Continue Reading

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