History of the New Almaden Mines
This article describes the fascinating history of the New Almaden quicksilver mines located in Santa Clara County, California. While many have heard of New Almaden, it is often overlooked that the state’s first lode mining operation was also the site of bonanza ores that rivaled many of the West’s great gold mines in the value of the metals produced. Continue Reading
Parrett Mine – Lundy, California
The Parrett mine is a gold mine located in Mono County, California, near the ghost town of Lundy. It is said to be in the same vein system as the famous May Lundy mine. The mine is most notable for its early history under the ownership of Jasper Parrett. Continue Reading
The Bingham Canyon Mine
The Bingham Canyon mine has produced more copper than any mine in the world, and with a depth of three-quarters of a mile, it is also the deepest open-pit mine in the world. The mine has operated for 120 years, and is now operated by Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation, a division of Rio Tinto Group. Continue Reading
Rawley Mine – Bonanza District, Colorado
The Rawley mine in Colorado’s Bonanza district created a lot of excitement in the area during the early 1880s. However, difficulties bringing the mine into production would result in over four decades of ownership changes and large capital losses until the mine finally realized its potential in the 1920s. Continue Reading
Mongst Mines and Miners – Cornwall 1893
In this article, we take a field trip to Cornwall in 1893, featuring a collection of photos that showcase the underground workings of the mines that were famous throughout the world. Continue Reading
The Old Yuma Mine
From The Mineralogical Record, Volume 14, No. 2, March-April, 1983: “The Old Yuma mine, near Tucson, has produced North America’s finest vanadinite specimens and is also well known for large and beautiful yellow wulfenite crystals. Sizeable pockets of these minerals have been found since the 1880’s and are still being found today.” Continue Reading
Stevens Mine – Argentine District, Colorado
The Stevens mine is located in the Argentine district of Clear Creek County, Colorado. The mine was notable for the very difficult location of the vein that was at about 12,500 feet in elevation on the face of a cliff on McClellan mountain. Continue Reading
Arizona’s Kofa Gold District
Arizona’s Kofa district was a significant producer of gold between 1897 and 1911. This article summarizes the history of the two primary mines of the district – the King of Arizona and the North Star. Featuring the photography of Owen Kennedy. Continue Reading
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. Continue Reading
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.” Continue Reading
