The historic mining towns of Arizona are generally distributed in a band from the southeast to the northwest part of the state. Arizona was a remote and rugged territory at the time of the California Gold Rush. Starting in 1849 as many as 50,000 people traveled through Arizona on the way to the California gold fields.
During the 1850s and '60s, Columbia, located four miles north of Sonora, grew to become the second largest city in California. And, unlike most mining towns …
British Columbia experienced several gold rushes throughout the latter half of the 1800s – some large, some small. With the influx of miners and their families, as well as entrepreneurs looking to capitalize on the miners' new prosperity, new towns sprung up across the province. Some of these towns boomed, while others only lasted as long as …
The Gem Of The Southern Mines. By 1853, Columbia was one of the largest cities in California, with an estimated population of 25,000 to 30,000. Between 1850 and the early 1900s, as much as $150 million in gold was mined here. Gold from Columbia helped to finance the United States government and the Union Army during the Civil War.
Kendall, Montana. Kendall is a ghost town located in the North Moccasin Mining District to the north of Lewistown. Gold was first discovered near the town in the 1880s but little was done due to lack of …
One of the best-preserved Gold Rush-era towns, visitors will enjoy stepping back in time and panning for gold, riding an old stagecoach, shopping and dining as they did in the bygone era. 3. …
One mining operation is still active in the district – the Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine's open pit mines have been uncovering silver and gold ore since 1994. The Mollie Kathleen Mine stopped production in 1994 and switched to offering tours of the underground mine. The tour lets you drop 1,000 feet below the ground and ride in a …
Many other rushes followed the California gold rush--in the 1850s in Nevada and Colorado, in the 1860s in Wyoming and Montana, and in the Black Hills of South Dakota in the 1870s. The miners who swarmed to find riches demanded services. As a result, mining towns quickly sprouted, and often just as quickly disappeared once the mines played out.
The 1890s after the crash were difficult times for most Colorado mining districts, but many of the San Juan mining companies continued producing silver, barely turning a profit, while diversifying into gold as new discoveries were made. San Juan County surpassed $1,000,000 in gold production for the first time in 1898.
Northern California's historic Gold Country is booming—for the second time. This string of former mining towns in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada burst …
Distribution of Wyoming Mining Towns. Wyoming ranks last among the western states for gold production and has no silver production of any significance. The only hard-rock mining towns of historic significance are in the South Pass City - Atlantic City area. Wyoming is the number one producer of coal in the United States. Western Mining …
Perhaps one of the most famous gold rush town, Sutter Creek takes its name from its founder, John Sutter, who was responsible the original "gold discovery" mining claim. Sutter Creek dates back to …
Notable mining towns in the Mother Lode region include Placerville, Diamond Springs, Sutter Creek, Jackson, Fiddletown, Mokelumne Hill, Jamestown, …
Combining the best of historic and contemporary, beautiful Sutter Creek, known as the Jewel of the Mother Lode, is one of the best gold rush towns in California to put on your itinerary. Sutter Creek's Main Street immediately puts you in the gold mining era, with its facades featuring traditional architectural detail and high balc…
Deadwood. Last Chance Mine. This ghost town is near a few others in the area of Northern California, in the region that was the most active place for gold mining during the Gold Rush. Built in 1852, this …
Read: 5 of Montana's Best Preserved Gold Mining Ghost Towns . Basin . Gold was discovered in the Cataract Creek in what became the Basin Mining District in 1862 but no serious mining took place until the late 1870s when several commercial mines such as the morning star mine, the Katy Mine, the Hope Mine, and the Bullion Mine …
Find out which Hollywood movies were filmed in Jamestown and other old gold-mining towns by following the "Walk of Fame" signs around town. When nature …
Colorado has a rich mining history, and many of the early mining towns that sprang up during the 1860s are still there today. You can explore the old buildings, go panning for …
The town saw its heydey earlier than the other gold towns–a few campers discovered gold dust in Alder Gulch in 1863. By 1864, ia City had more than 10,000 residents.
7 Rhyolite. Rhyolite is a ghost town located in southwestern Nevada, founded in 1904, and quickly became one of the largest mining towns in the country. The town was known for its opulence and …
Central, Michigan. Central, Michigan, is a ghost town located in the Keweenaw Peninsula which was once a bustling mining town. The Central Mining Company found a profitable vein of copper here in 1854 and set up operations. At its peak, the town had over 1,200 residents, a school, post office, and a company store.
During the 1850s and '60s, Columbia, located four miles north of Sonora, grew to become the second largest city in California. And, unlike most mining towns that flourished in the era, it never ...
The ia City Historic District is a National Historic Landmark that surrounds the former mining villages of ia City and Gold Hill. ia City is the best known of the early Nevada mining towns and it owes a lot of its success to the discovery of the Comstock Lode, which took place in 1859.
Distribution of Idaho Mining Towns The story of Idaho mining, and the communities that formed around the mines, can be summarized by describing three regions of importance: the gold districts of central and southern Idaho, the Owyhee district of southwest Idaho, and the immensely rich Silver Valley region in the northern part of the state.
Perhaps one of the most famous gold rush town, Sutter Creek takes its name from its founder, John Sutter, who was responsible the original "gold discovery" mining claim. Sutter Creek dates back to 1846, just before the big gold mining boom, but it continued to profit from quartz mines into the 1950s.
Onlookers stand above a hydraulic gold mining operation in the late 1800s. (Courtesy of Oregon Historical Society) Enlarge Image Oregon's history is rich with gold. Whole towns were born, lived, and died in the search for the precious metal. The first gold nuggets were discovered in the 1850s on the Illinois River and creeks near Jacksonville.
The discovery of gold near present-day Denver in 1858–59 drew thousands of people to present-day Colorado, prompting the political organization of first a US territory and later a state. Many current cities and towns, including Denver, Boulder, Black Hawk, Breckenridge, and Central City, were founded during the Colorado Gold Rush, and its …
There are numerous ghost towns in Montana that provide vivid peeks into the life in the Old West, especially at the many old mining camps located in the "Treasure State."From the time that gold was first discovered in Gold Creek in 1852 to the first major gold rush boom in Bannack in July 1862, and all the way through today, millions of dollars in gold, silver, …
SWANSEA. Locate near the Arizona-California border is the former mining town Swansea, one of the worth-visiting ghost towns in Arizona, known for its rich gold and copper mining history. Under preservation by the Bureau of Land Management, Swansea in western Arizona near the Bill Williams River.
The Four Best Places to Look for Gold in Wyoming. 1. The Black Hills of Wyoming. Gold was first discovered in The Black Hills of Wyoming in 1874, and since then the area has been a hotbed of gold mining activity. There are numerous gold mines in the area, and gold prospectors continue to flock to The Black Hills in search of the precious metal.
