Featured Mining Town: Angels Camp, California
Angels Camp was the site of rich placer deposits that were discovered in 1848. This was one of California's earliest, and most important settlements. The town declined after the placer gold was played out, but by the 1890s the area had rebounded as a significant hard-rock mining center. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Durango, Colorado
Durango was established in 1880 as a railroad hub serving the mines of the San Juan Mountains. The town soon became a regional smelting center, and by 1900 was evolving into the western Colorado's most important city. Continue Reading
The Twenty Mule Teams of Death Valley
"The Twenty Mule Teams of Death Valley" presents text and diagrams from a series of reports by the Historic American Engineering Record. Included are historical images of these iconic western wagon teams. 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
Mining in the Black Hills
"Mining in the Black Hills" provides an overview of the geography and history of mining and mining communities in the Black Hills. Included are historic and modern maps of the mining towns and districts of this famous mining region. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Berlin, Nevada
During its heyday, Berlin and its Union suburbs supported 200-250 people including miners, woodcutters, charcoal makers, a doctor and nurse, a forest ranger and a prostitute. Continue Reading
Contemporary U.S. Specimen Gold
Most known gold localities are no longer actively producing on a large scale or are actively mined as open pits, and the prospect of a nice nugget or matrix specimen is low. That is not to say that good size and quality nuggets are not being found, and good matrix specimens are still uncovered in old mines, now worked in the hopes of finding "pocket gold" specimens. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Lead, South Dakota
Lead, South Dakota is the location of the Homestake - the nation's greatest gold mine. This mine operated for 125 years and produced over 40 million ounces of gold. As the mine grew, so did Lead, becoming one of the West's most important mining cities. Continue Reading
Featured Mining Town: Central City, South Dakota
Central, City South Dakota was one of the Black Hills earliest, and most important mining settlements. In 1877, a conflict between the neighboring Aurora and Keets mines resulted in the death of one of the mine owners, and later the same year a strike at the Keets required intervention by Sheriff Seth Bullock and federal troops. 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
