Welcome to Western Mining History

Featured Mining Town: Irwin, Colorado

Featured Mining Town: Irwin, Colorado

Irwin, Colorado grew into a spectacular city of 5,000 residents in just six months after rich silver discoveries. The great production from the mines could only be maintained for a couple years, and by 1883 Irwin was already in steep decline.  Continue Reading

What is a Ghost Town? WMH Town Classifications Explained

While there is not one official definition of what a ghost town is, there has been much discussion on the subject. Wikipedia’s basic definition is as follows: A ghost town is an abandoned village, town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due  Continue Reading

The King Solomon Mine

Full view of cyanide mixing works at the King Solomon mine.

The King Solomon mine, a monolithic structure from a bygone era, stands alone atop the Rand Mountain range, a silent witness to the joys, sorrows and deaths of those who sought the riches from beneath the earth. Cindy Nunn's new book Abandoned California: King Solomon Mine is a history of the mine from its beginnings until shut-down.  Continue Reading

Rich Gold Deposits of Plumas County

Map Showing Mining Territory Tributary to La Porte

The following article describing the early history of Plumas County gold districts and a resurgence of mining in the mid-1890s appeared in the San Francisco Call on July 18, 1895. The map image was published with the article, all other images were added from separate archives. Plumas is county of rugged mountains, holding in their  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Nevada City, California

Featured Mining Town: Nevada City, California

Nevada City, California was one of the earliest and most important mining camps established during the Gold Rush. The town would grow to be an important center of mining and society among the numerous gold camps of the Sierra foothills.  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Cripple Creek, Colorado

Featured Mining Town: Cripple Creek, Colorado

Cripple Creek, Colorado was settled after gold discoveries in 1891. It would soon be one of the West's greatest mining cities, and the Cripple Creek district would produce enough gold to become the second most valuable gold district in the U.S.  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Placerville, California

Featured Mining Town: Placerville, California

Placerville, California was one of the earliest and most prosperous mining towns established during the Gold Rush. Even after the gold ran out, Placerville continued to flourish as a supply center and transportation hub for mines and camps throughout the region.  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Deadwood, South Dakota

Featured Mining Town: Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is one of the West's most historically significant mining cities, and the location of some of the Wild West's most notable events. Deadwood has seen extensive preservation of its historical buildings, and is a popular tourist center.  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Smuggler, Colorado

Featured Mining Town: Smuggler, Colorado

The company town of Smuggler, Colorado was part of the Smuggler-Union mine, one of the Telluride district's top three mines. Smuggler was the site of more fatal accidents and violence than any mine in the district.  Continue Reading

The Saga of the Perasich Murder – Darwin, California 1875

The The Black Metal Saloon in Darwin, California 1905

While researching historical newspapers for information on Panamint City, California, I stumbled upon a series of articles that detail the murder of a man named Perasich. Perasich, a business owner in Panamint Springs, California, was allegedly gunned down by Ashim in the nearby mining town of Darwin. The articles lay out a dramatic series of events following the crime; doubt as to Ashim's guilt, attempted revenge by Perasich's brothers, and a trial corrupted by both money and influence of the local outlaw gangs.   Continue Reading