Welcome to Western Mining History

Best Historical Photos: 1900s Nevada Boom Towns

20,000 spectators at a drilling contest in Goldfield, Nevada ca. 1906

The first decade of the 1900s was an exciting time for the state of Nevada. Most mining rushes were over in the West, but Nevada had numerous new discoveries during this time. Mining booms occurred that resembled the great excitements of the 1860s and 1870s, and mining camps quickly developed into fantastic cities.  Continue Reading

The California Gold Rush

The California Gold Rush was the most significant event in the history of the settlement of the western frontier. The initial discovery was made in January 1848, but news traveled slowly and although many miners arrived in 1848, the beginning of the Gold Rush was the following year in 1849.  Continue Reading

The Western Prospector

Dating back to the earliest days of the California Gold Rush, prospectors were looked upon by the general public as the solitary heroes of the western frontier. They were responsible for the rapid discovery of California's seemingly endless placer gold mines, and soon were tracing those placers back to their sources in what became the region’s great underground mines. "The Western Prospector" details the history of prospectors in the West, including numerous historical photos.  Continue Reading

Shorty Harris and the Bullfrog Claim

Shorty Harris was the Death Valley region's most famous prospector. He discovered the Bullfrog mine that started the great rush to Rhyolite around 1905. Despite his success as a prospector, he never became wealthy, and preferred the simple life of a desert prospector.  Continue Reading

The Stagecoach: A Photo Essay on Western Travel

Text By Gary Carter Photos sourced by Western Mining History from various archives. Author’s note: this is a short synopsis of early stagecoach activity in the far west. Please note that different sources may provide slightly varying numbers when describing coaches, men, way stations and animals used. The readers are directed to the bibliography for  Continue Reading

Incredible Colorado Mining Scenes

Mines at Black Hawk Colorado

Colorado is characterized by the most rugged and mountainous terrain of any state in the US, and those mountains were rich in minerals waiting to be discovered by prospectors as far back as 1858. Development of mines in Colorado was slow at first due to the extremes of terrain and weather, and the remoteness of  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Skidoo, California

Featured Mining Town: Skidoo, California

Skidoo, California was one of Death Valley's longest lasting towns, surviving for around ten years. Nothing is left of the town today, but the remains of the Skidoo mill make the site a worthwhile spot to visit while at the park.  Continue Reading

Lost Burro Mine – Death Valley

The Lost Burro Mine is located in Inyo County California, within the boundaries of Death Valley National Park. It is recorded in the USGS MRDS database as records 10036121 and 10236489. The mine was discovered in 1907 and was worked intermittently by several owners until the 1970s. The National Park Service has provided a report  Continue Reading

The Colorado Gold Rush

The Colorado Gold Rush, originally known as the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, started in 1858 and was the second largest mining excitement in United States history after the great California Gold Rush a decade earlier. Over 100,000 people participated in this rush and were known as “Fifty-Niners”, a reference to 1859, the year the rush  Continue Reading

Featured Mining Town: Silverton, Colorado

Featured Mining Town: Silverton, Colorado

Silverton, Colorado is one of the West's most important, and most authentic historic mining towns. It is also one of the most isolated, located in the most mountainous county in the United States.  Continue Reading