The Black Hills Gold Rush was one of the most significant historical events in the western United States. This collection of over 50 images captures the early history of this famous gold region. Continue Reading
This collection contains some of the best colorized photos of historic western mining scenes. Included are mines, miners, historic mining towns, and related scenes. Continue Reading
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
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
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
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 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
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