The Lot Jumpers of Goldfield, Nevada

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The Lot Jumpers of Goldfield, Nevada

Although claim jumping is often associated with Western mining districts, another form of land speculation was also common: town lot jumping. In booming mining camps, town lots could be extraordinarily valuable, placing them beyond the reach of many newcomers. To secure housing, or in some cases simply to seize something of value, squatters occupied land belonging to mining companies, townsite developers, and even lots that had already been legally sold to private individuals. 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

Aftermath of the Gunfight at the OK Corral

It is often overlooked that the events surrounding “Gunfight at the OK Corral” occurred during one of the most important silver mining excitements in United States history, and many of the region’s mining camps and towns played a part in the events that unfolded. Continue Reading

The Mining Company That Stole a Town

The Harrison Gulch townsite was owned by two mining companies – the Midas Gold Mining Company and the Victor Power and Mining Company. The Victor Company had nefarious plans for the town, resulting in a legal battle that lasted over a decade, with one paper declaring that the “townsite war is on.” Continue Reading

The Leadville Ice Palace

In the 1890s, Leadville, Colorado was experiencing an economic depression. To boost the local economy, and the mood of the citizenry, in 1895 a plan was conceived to have a winter carnival, with the main attraction being a grand palace constructed almost entirely of ice. Continue Reading

Little Girl Lost: The Story of Colorado’s Silver Dollar Tabor

How does it feel to go from unimaginable wealth to equally unimaginable poverty? In the Tabor family, youngest daughter “Silver Dollar” clearly knew, and was most affected. Continue Reading

History of Mojave Desert Borax Mining

Mojave Desert borax was first made famous in the late 1800s by by the Twenty Mule Team wagon trains that were used to transport it across the desert. Over 140 years later, borax is still an important mined commodity in Southern California. Continue Reading

The Young America Mine and the Deidesheimer Gold Heist

The Young America mine was one located in one of California’s most scenic locations. It was partly owned by famed mining engineer Philip Deidesheimer. In a twist “Phillip Deidesheimer” was caught stealing a large quantity of gold from the mine. This article exposes the scandal that the mine owners attempted to make quietly go away. 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

Shorty Harris and the Bullfrog Claim

Shorty Harris was the Death Valley region’s most famous prospector. He discovered the Bullfrog mine that started the great rush to Rhyolite around 1905. Despite his success as a prospector, he never became wealthy, and preferred the simple life of a desert prospector. Continue Reading

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