As of August 13th, 2009, we have rolled out the most extensive redesign and reprogramming of this site since it's inception. Testing and feature finalization has been going on for the last week and today we are ready to give official announcement of the new Western Mining History website. The new site features entirely new design and backend programming that allowed a host of new powerful features:
Interactive state maps. See map of western states and select a state.
Blog - read What is a Blog? for more info.
Tags to tie content together into new sets - example: Best of mining era structures. View all tags.
Panoramas are now displayed in a special plugin that allows display of very high resolution images that load very quickly. Examples: 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Gallery, mines & mining town panoramas
Users can now register for accounts and comment on blogs and articles.
We are creating an extensive collection of books from Amazon related to mining, mining history, and the American west. Click here to visit the Bookstore.
Starting in the Fall of 2009 (once I get things settled with the new site launch), there will be regular weekly site updates with new photos, articles, town profiles, and blog entries.
Western Mining History turns five years old this year and I would like to thank all the users that have sent positive feedback over the last few years.
Aaron Walton, Webmaster
aaron Fri, 01/15/2010
Hi Timmins,
While its true that there are larger towns now that have mining as their primary economic activity, my statement about Butte was more rooted in history than in modern times. Most of the history presented on this site is from the 1850's through the 1920's and Butte's significance during that time was profound. Also I'm sure that the towns you mentioned have some economic diversification as most modern cities do - so the total population of those cities can't all be attributed to mining. The frontier mining towns and cities of the 1800's and early 1900's were truly mining towns - they existed at the site of the mines for the purpose of mining only.
Anyway, it's an interesting debate and I thank you for your comment.
timmins_canada Fri, 01/08/2010
Great website! I have a comment about Butte Montana being the biggest mining town in North America,NOT,maybe in the U.S.In my part of North America,Ontario,Canada,Sudbury, pop 150,000+,10-20 operating mines.Timmins,pop 43,000,5+ operating mines.