Mine Photos and Details – Western Mining History

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Fourth of July Mine – Boulder County, Colorado

The Fourth of July Mine was an ambitious mining venture that never lived up to the expectations of its owners and investors. Located high in the mountains west of Boulder, the property attracted repeated investment over more than six decades and was developed with a deep shaft and a tunnel nearly 2,000 feet long. Yet for all this effort, recorded production amounted to only 115 tons of ore. Continue Reading

The Ikeda Mine: A Japanese Mining Venture in British Columbia

The Ikeda Mine was one of the most unusual early mining ventures on the coast of British Columbia. Located on the southeastern shore of Moresby Island (now part of Haida Gwaii), it was developed by Japanese entrepreneurs at a time when nearly all of British Columbia’s mining industry was controlled by British, Canadian, or American interests. Continue Reading

Black Oak Mine – Tuolumne County, California

The Black Oak Mine, located near Soulsbyville, California, was a gold producer that operated intermittently from 1878 through the 1920s. These exclusive photographs were provided by a descendant of the mine’s superintendent. Continue Reading

Valley View Mine – Placer County, California

The Valley View Mine, also known historically as the Whiskey Hill Mine, Whiskey Diggings, and Harpending Mine, was located in the western foothills of Placer County, California. Unlike the region’s better-known quartz gold mines, Valley View produced primarily copper, with secondary gold, silver, lead, and zinc. Continue Reading

The Mines of Boulder County, Colorado: Photographs by Joseph Sturtevant

Joseph Sturtevant, also known as “Rocky Mountain Joe”, was a professional photographer based in Boulder, Colorado. During his time there, the mining industry in Boulder County was thriving, and he documented much of it in photographs throughout the 1890s and the first decade of the twentieth century. Continue Reading

Stonewall Mine – San Diego County, California

The Stonewall Mine, located approximately seven miles south of Julian, California, was the largest gold producer in San Diego County, with total production estimated at approximately two million dollars. Although mining activity at the site began in the 1870s, its most productive period occurred between 1886 and 1892. Continue Reading