Best Historical Photos: Colorized Mining Scenes

These historic photos have been enhanced by the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence based photo optimization software. High-resolution versions of these images are available to download to all WMH premium members.

These high resolution digital images can be used at services like Shutterfly to create prints or other promotional materials. The original photo is included in each package for comparison.

Historic mining scene – Pony, Montana ca. 1900

This incredible photo is a view of Pony, Montana around 1900. The image features pack animals and freight wagons with the town of Pony and an enormous stamp mill in the background.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 2,966 x 2,053 pixels, the original version is 3,000 x 2,291 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Crowd at the Railroad Depot – Tonopah, Nevada 1907

This incredible photo depicts the Tonopah, Nevada rail station in 1907. A crowd has gathered to watch a band play. The incredibly rich Tonopah silver mines can be seen behind the station.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 5,069 x 3,442 pixels, the original version is 5,934 x 4,494 pixels, both in JPEG format.

1904 Tonopah, Nevada Lightning Storm

This photo depicts a lightning storm at Tonopah, Nevada in 1904. Tonopah was a young silver boom town in 1904, but would go on to be Nevada’s richest mining district of the early 1900s.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,668 x 3,348 pixels, the original version is 5,000 x 3,813 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Eureka, Colorado ca. 1900

This view of Eureka, Colorado (near Silverton) was taken by famous frontier photographer William Henry Jackson. Eureka was already in decline when this photo was taken around 1900, and today it is a ghost town.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,608 x 3,373 pixels, the original version is 5,025 x 3,997 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Virginia City, Nevada ca. 1878

This incredible photo is a view of Virginia City, Nevada around 1878. The image depicts Virginia City at it’s peak, just as it has entered the “big bonanza” years of the late 1870s and 1880s. The vast riches coming out of the Comstock silver mines during this period made it one of the most important cities in the West.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,000 x 3,026 pixels, the original version is 5,595 x 4,319 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Victor, Colorado ca. 1900

Victor, Colorado is seen here ca. 1900 with the Gold Coin mine in the center of the photo. Known as the “City of Mines”, victor was the second most important city in the Cripple Creek mining district and where most of the district’s miners called home.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,596 x 3,260 pixels, the original version is 4,630 x 3,595 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Auburn, California Steam Tractor ca. 1910

Dating back to 1849, Auburn, California is one of the West’s oldest gold rush towns. This photo depicts a steam shovel pulling wagons through Auburn’s historic downtown – likely in the first decade of the 1900s.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,500 x 2,953 pixels, the original version is 5,000 x 3,249 pixels, both in JPEG format.

These historic photos have been enhanced by the world’s most advanced artificial intelligence based photo optimization software. High-resolution versions of these images are available to download to all WMH premium members.

These high resolution digital images can be used at services like Shutterfly to create prints or other promotional materials. The original photo is included in each package for comparison.

Placer miners at Auburn Ravine – California ca. 1852

Placer miners, including four Chinese, pose at a sluice at Auburn Ravine, near the town of Auburn in Northern California. This ca. 1852 photo is one of the earliest and most notable images of gold rush miners in California.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,223 x 3,027 pixels, the original version is 4,435 x 3,342 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Classic Gold Prospector Scene

This notable image of a prospector gold panning in a river is one of the most famous photos from the gold rush era. This photo has often been misidentified, but a reputable archive states that the photo was taken on the Colorado River near Lee’s Ferry in Arizona Territory. Dates assigned to the photo also vary, but this scene is likely from 1900 or earlier.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 2,125 x 2,533 pixels, the original version is 2,302 x 3,000 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Miners Pose at Unidentified Nevada Mine Late 1800s

This amazing scene from the late 1800s depicts a group of miners at the entrance of an unidentified Nevada mine. The image includes an ore cart full of ore, a mule carrying supplies, and even a dog supervising the progress at the mine.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 5,000 x 3,709 pixels, the original version is 5,000 x 3,977 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Miners taking a lunch break at the Chance Mine 1909

Miners at lunch break in the Chance mine. The Chance is a silver mine located in Shoshone County, Idaho, in a region known as the “Silver Valley”. The Silver Valley is the top silver producing region in the United States, and second in the world.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 3,617 x 2,605 pixels, the original version is 3,817 x 2,699 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Miners riding ore cars Into the mine – Wallace, Idaho 1909

This incredible photo titled “Going to Work” depicts miners riding ore cars into a Wallace, Idaho area silver mine. Wallace is in a region known as the “Silver Valley”. The Silver Valley is the top silver producing region in the United States, and second in the world.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 2,475 x 3,111 pixels, the original version is 2,475 x 3,427 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Timbering and miners in the Bagdad Mine 1910

This incredible photo depicts miners and square-set timbering in the Bagdad mine near Ludlow in Southern California. The Bagdad mine (also known as the Bagdad-Chase) was discovered in 1903 and produced primarily gold and copper.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 2,844 x 2,117 pixels, the original version is 3,000 x 2,352 pixels, both in JPEG format.

Savage Mine – Virginia City, Nevada ca. 1868

This incredible view depicts miners preparing to descend the Curtis shaft of the Savage mine – Virginia City, Nevada ca. 1868. The Comstock silver mines of Virginia City were some of the richest ever mined.

The AI enhanced version of the photo is 4,680 x 3,304 pixels, the original version is 4,913 x 3,614 pixels, both in JPEG format.

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.

Desert regions often lacked easy access to the trees needed to build cabins so alternative materials had to be scavenged to be used in building shelters. One very unique example is this little cabin built of barrels at Tonopah, Nevada around 1908.

This particular cabin was apparently a curiosity even in the early 1900s as it was used in various postcards, some colorized like the example below.

Another innovative type of construction that was not uncommon in Nevada mining camps was the bottle house. Tom Kelly’s bottle house, built in 1906 at Rhyolite, Nevada, is the most famous example. This bottle house has been preserved and can be visited today.

At the time that Tom Kelly built his house, there were over 50 saloons operating at Rhyolite. Kelly took advantage of this free supply of material and collected over 50,000 bottles over a period of six months to use in the construction of his three-bedroom house.

While desert mining camps lacked timber, they always had plenty of bottles. This bottle house was built in Tonopah around 1910.

Another boom town with a lot of saloons was Goldfield, Nevada. This 1906 bottle house is another example of a home built with the thousands of bottles that were discarded daily by the dozens of saloons operating at the time.

Another common form of shelter in desert regions was the dugout. Dugouts were characterized by being partially buried in the ground or into the side of a hill. Not only did dugouts require few materials for construction, they provided effective shelter from the elements in harsh desert climates.

This is Randsburg, California dugout image details the rock work used to finish the home that is complete with a chimney. Note the dutch oven for cooking in the foreground.

This Colorado dugout was likely located in the coal mining region around Trinidad. The placement in the side of the hill combined with the dirt roof undoubtedly provided shelter from both hot summers and cold winter nights. The men in the photo appear to be coal miners.

Dugouts provided shelter for many miners during the rush to Goldfield, Nevada starting in 1903.

This dugout in the Salmon River region of Idaho is built into a steep hillside, and almost looks like a cave. It was likely built to provide shelter from harsh Idaho winter weather.

These unique miner’s homes are more examples of the ingenuity and determination of the pioneers that settled the American West. Thankfully some of these structures where documented by photography so that new generations can witness how these pioneers lived during an important time in US history.

Established in 1876, Ouray, Colorado was positioned at the north end of the rugged San Juan mountains, in a box canyon that served as the gateway to many rich mining districts. The town would have been the ideal commerce and transportation center for a large part of the region of not for one problematic detail.

The terrain that separated Ouray and the mining districts to the south was so steep and rocky, that early explorers called the route “difficult and dangerous” and even “impassible”. Early trails and toll roads that linked Ouray with important mining centers like Lake City and Silverton took long and roundabout routes that made travel in the region slow and difficult.

For years attempts were made at building a road between Ouray and Silverton, but these attempts were always a failure.

Interest in the road peaked in 1882 with the discovery of the Red Mountain Mining District, the largest mining boom the San Juan’s had experienced to that point. Building the southern road out of Ouray now became a matter of great importance.

If Ouray could not be connected to the fantastic mines of Red Mountain it would lose all the commerce and riches flowing out of the district to Silverton.

Reaching the mines of Red Mountain became a race between Ouray and Silverton. The stakes were high, with the winner being the first to benefit from the extensive freighting business that would come from the rich new district.

Ouray County took on the job and the first concerted effort was made at building Colorado’s most difficult road. Over $40,000 was spent but not much progress was being made, and the county had to concede that it did not have the resources or expertise to get the job done.

Ouray County officials then turned to famed Colorado road builder Otto Mears. Mears had built successful toll roads in the San Juans before, and was considered to be Colorado’s greatest road builder.

By the fall of 1883, Mears had completed the road from Ouray to Ironton, beating the Silverton road builders in the race to access the new mining district. As expected, freighting business boomed in Ouray, and the town entered a new era of prosperity.

Mears was a shrewd businessman and after completing the road from Ouray to the Red Mountain district, he then made an offer to county officials in Silverton to finish their end of the road. The Silverton road had been mostly built but was in such poor condition that freight wagons could not make the trip without great difficulty.

In a similar deal to the one he made with the county government at Ouray, Mears got San Juan County to pay for the road and let him collect the tolls that travelers had to pay to use it.

Mears now controlled both roads to Red Mountain, and charged high tolls in either direction. In addition to the payments he received from the county governments, Mears is said to have collected over $100,000 on tolls

It wasn’t just mines that were bringing prosperity to Ouray. The spectacular scenery of the San Juan’s attracted tourists as early as the 1880s, and the new toll road featured such breathtaking scenery that it boosted tourism in the region despite the terrifying drops and rough condition of the road.

Mear’s charter to collect tolls ended in 1887 with Ouray and San Juan counties taking over ownership. The Mears road was now public, and would continue to be one of the West’s most famous roads.

The 1916 passage of the “Good Roads Bill” provided funds that were used to improve roads throughout America. Starting in 1921, these funds were used to upgrade the Mears toll road to a highway that could accommodate automobiles.

For reasons that remain unclear, the newly upgraded automobile road became known as the “Million Dollar Highway”, which it is still known as today. Most would agree that the Million Dollar Highway is America’s most spectacular drive. 

The road remains a testament to the bravery and ingenuity of men like Otto Mears and the hundreds of laborers that blasted much of this road from the shear cliffs of the San Juan mountains.

The rugged individuals that opened the frontier West were prospecting, mining, and attempting to survive in what was a vast wilderness at the time. Many of the basics of survival had to be sourced directly from the miner’s immediate surroundings, and shelter was one of the first necessities of life that had to be addressed.

The most common form of shelter for early miners in many states was the log cabin. In forested regions, logs were readily available and enabled miners to build reliable shelter in relatively short time. The following photos show many examples of these early cabins and the proud miners that built them.

The following image depicts a very early cabin near Nevada City, California in 1852. Of interest in this photo is the massive size of the logs used to build the cabin and the half barrel used as a stand for the sluice the men are working.

Many great photos of miner’s cabin have been preserved and capture what life was like in the late 1800s for these early pioneers. The following photo depicts several of the earliest settlers of the Cripple Creek district of Colorado. Note the two seated men are posing with musical instruments.

This 1870s image from Rosita, Colorado reveals a man with a high opinion of his humble cabin. Undoubtedly many people these days would enthusiastically trade their current daily lives for a few days in the Elkhorn Palace. Dogs where a required accessory for any proper cabin.

This group of prospectors mean business outside of their Colorado log cabin. The dog is ready to do some gold digging.

This late 1800s photo is a rare view of two miners in their cabin. Note the bags and supplies hanging from the wall and the furniture made from tree limbs. This was the original tiny house movement.

This William Henry Jackson photo depicts “St. Peter – Guide and Prospector” at his cabin around 1890.

This Colorado miner sits outside his cabin with the required quota of dogs. Note the contrast between the major mining operation on the mountain behind the cabin, and the simple gold pan to the right of the miner.

A new rush occurred at Jasper, Colorado in 1897 and the following image shows one of the first cabins built at the time. These miners are ready to find some gold. The dog, as usual, is an enthusiastic sidekick.

The following image is an early view of a cabin in California’s Sierra Nevada Range in 1866. Note the very steep roof – an indication that this location received heavy winter snow accumulation.

The gold rush at Nome, Alaska presented new challenges to miners struggling to survive in a very severe climate. No trees grow at Nome, so materials for shelter had to be brought in at great expense, or scavenged from wherever they could be found.

The following photo captures an old-time miner at his cabin built of driftwood at Nome ca. 1905.

While the relatively simple life of a miner might appeal to many people today, after spending a winter scavenging materials for shelter in Alaska, or spending a winter in this Colorado cabin….

….they may want to instead spend their time at this cabin – Miner’s Cabin Saloon at Baker City Oregon. This 1890s photo illustrates that the miner’s cabin captured the imagination of the public at a time when miners were still building cabins in newer districts.

While most miner’s cabins have been lost to weather, fire, vandalism, and the relentless march of time, we can still enjoy photos of these fascinating structures, the miners that built them, and the dogs that kept them warm thanks to the following institutions.

• Denver Public Library Digital Collections
• UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library
• University of Washington Digital Collections
• Library of Congress
• Baker County Library

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.

The greatest of these rushes were at Goldfield, Tonopah, Rawhide, and Rhyolite. The following are some before and after photos that illustrate the dramatic rise and fall of these great camps.

Goldfield, Nevada ca. 1907

Goldfield, Nevada was founded in 1902 after rich gold discoveries. The town grew from a tent camp to Nevada’s largest city in just a few years. The following photo illustrates the explosive growth that Goldfield experienced by 1907.

The next photo shows what Goldfield looked like just four years earlier in 1903. What was built in just a few years is almost impossible to believe.

Tonopah, Nevada 1903

Tonopah, Nevada was the site of a major silver discovery in 1900. The town became Nevada’s largest silver producer in the first decade of the 1900s. Thousands of people poured into the area in the first few years, making Tonopah Nevada’s first boom town of the new century.

Just a couple years earlier, Tonopah was a modest tent camp as shown in the following photo.

Rawhide, Nevada 1908

Discovery of gold in 1907 resulted in a mad rush to the new town of Rawhide, Nevada. The following photo was sent to us by William Redak who included the following text with the image:

“The inscription on the upper left was put there by my great uncle Arthur Sweet. Uncle Arch was a mining engineer who spent most of his life in mining towns in Nevada and Colorado, with a little time in Arizona and Mexico for good measure”

Not long after the photo above was taken, a fire devastated Rawhide.

As with most mining boom towns, fire was merely a temporary setback and Rawhide was quickly rebuilt.

Rhyolite, Nevada 1908

Rhyolite, Nevada was the location of a gold rush starting in 1905. By 1908, when the following photo was taken, Rhyolite had become a city of several thousand people.

Prosperity was short-lived for Rhyolite and by 1920 it was a ghost town. This 1923 photo shows the ruin of the Cook Bank building, Rhyolite’s most prominent structure (seen in the center of the photo above).

The Cook Bank building is one of the West’s most photographed ghost town structures. The following photo is a rare view of what the bank interior looked like during the boom years.

Today a few empty buildings and many ruins are all that is left of Rhyolite. The ghost town is a popular tourist destination.