Cripple Creek

Cripple Creek “The World’s Greatest Gold Camp”

“So thickly were the hillsides and gulches studded with homes, than one can easily say that the Cripple Creek district is one great city, covering thirty-six square miles.” Cripple Creek – “The World’s Greatest Gold Camp” uses selected text from a 1903 special edition of the Cripple Creek Times, and over 50 images from various sources to illustrate the importance and magnitude of Cripple Creek during the district’s peak years. Continue Reading

A Collection of Oregon Mining Photos

Gold is Oregon’s primary mined commodity, and the gold mining industry thrived in the state for many decades. This is a collection of noteworthy mining photos from the state. Continue Reading

Saga of the War Eagle Mines

While Silver City and the Owyhee mines entered a new phase by the 1880s, the turbulent events of the 1860s were never forgotten. Aptly named War Eagle Mountain will always be remembered as one of the most contested, and bloodiest, mining locations in the West. Continue Reading

A Collection of Nevada Mining Photos

Nevada is the location of “The Great Basin”, a desert region characterized by numerous wide valleys bordered by parallel mountain ranges. The climate is generally very dry, and the high altitude brings a range of temperature and weather extremes. This inhospitable region doesn’t support a lot of life, but it is one of the nation’s Continue Reading

The Top 25 US Gold Districts

Of the 508 distinct gold districts identified in the western states by the USGS, these are the top 25 gold producers during the golden age of western mining. Continue Reading

The Comstock Lode: Nevada’s “Big Bonanza”

The Comstock Lode of Nevada was one of the richest deposits of precious metals ever discovered, and the mining bonanza that occurred there is one of America’s most significant historical events. This collection of images captures the incredible towns, mines, and mills of this magnificent era of western mining. Continue Reading

Mill Locations of the Comstock Lode

The Comstock Lode of Nevada was one of the richest deposits of precious metals ever discovered, and the mining bonanza that occurred there is one of America’s most significant historical events. This article looks at the distribution of the over 200 mills that were constructed to process the Comstock ore. Continue Reading

A Tour of Colorado Mining Towns

This tour of Colorado mining towns is organized by county, and represents the current contents of the Colorado Mining Towns database at Western Mining History. Continue Reading

Best Historical Photos: 1900s Nevada Boom Towns

20,000 spectators at a drilling contest in Goldfield, Nevada ca. 1906

The first decade of the 1900s was an exciting time for the state of Nevada. Most mining rushes were over in the West, but Nevada had numerous new discoveries during this time. Mining booms occurred that resembled the great excitements of the 1860s and 1870s, and mining camps quickly developed into fantastic cities. Continue Reading

The California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush was the most significant event in the history of the settlement of the western frontier. The initial discovery was made in January 1848, but news traveled slowly and although many miners arrived in 1848, the beginning of the Gold Rush was the following year in 1849. Continue Reading

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