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Mining

Mines

246 posts

Van Ness Mine

Van Ness Mine

We were out on an exploration trip in the high mountains of central Nevada in 2008, and I talked our group into a side trip to check out this mining camp. It turned out to be a small camp with little left except a retort and a few buildings, but

Valentine and Anchor Mines

Valentine and Anchor Mines

We finally went to a couple of mines I’ve wanted to visit for years. We were surprised to find such extensive mines and tramways. They weren’t easy to reach. We had to hike up and down a few cliffs to reach both mines. I hear the Anchor is

White Rambler Mine

White Rambler Mine

In early 2009, we went off searching for a few seldom-visited mines on a cold and overcast winter day. It was nice hiking in this remote, isolated corner of Death Valley National Park. The mines are small and more modern. I couldn’t find any information on them. GPS

Freiberg Smelter

Freiberg Smelter

Back in 2012, we went on a trip through central Nevada and spent a night in the old mining camp of Freiberg. Discovered in 1865, the area was worked in a small way for silver, but the mines never produced much of anything. We explored the area and only found

Illinois Mine

Illinois Mine

Lead-silver and gold ores were first discovered here in 1874, and the little camp of Lodi was formed. The town had at least 100 residents by 1878. By 1880, the boom was over, and the mine had produced over $400,000. Things were quiet until the mine came to life

Millspaugh

Millspaugh

Millspaugh was a small family mining camp settled in the late 1890s. According to the writings of Elizabeth Mecham, the first mill burned in 1902 but was immediately rebuilt with metal siding. Most of the buildings were hauled off in 1914. These days, the site is deep within China Lake

South Gold Mill

South Gold Mill

Clyde Terrell started the South Gold Mining Company, which bought the South Gold mine around 1926 from Frank McMullen. The mine was developed along a 1,000 ft adit (which is now caved), a 500 ft adit, and a 300 ft one. The mill itself was hand-built by millwright Guy