Deep Dive On The Biggest Gold Mine In This Area - Part 1 of 2
This is an abandoned gold mine that I have known about for many years due to its size and historical significance. However, it was an early one, with peak production in the 1800s and it had ceased operation not too far into the twentieth century. Many mines that shut down that long ago have only very limited and vague location information. One must follow clues in old reports and then get boots on the ground to follow the lay of the land. Sometimes we fail, but we’ve gotten pretty good at tracking down “lost” mines over the years based on very little information. This was one of those abandoned mines with very little location information.
After being driven out of the high country for the season by snow a couple of years ago, we decided to gather the rumors we had heard about this mine along with all of the data from old reports and spent a while poring over old maps. This gave us a general area to focus on and what you will see in the two videos on this gold mine is the result of several visits over the years. We were pretty thorough in covering the area and so, I believe, we documented all that is left. However, we would love to be corrected on that.
This mine was initially developed by a series of adits. The quality of the gold ore coming out from underground was sufficient for some serious investment money to be put into this project and the mine eventually grew into a large shaft with nine levels drifting off of it. The shaft was drained by that flooded tunnel that you saw near the start of this video (much more on that in the next video). The shaft was an incline shaft rather than a vertical shaft and has been reported to run to a depth of 1,600 feet. Some massive stopes were reported to have been hollowed out along the shaft.
Production value is reported to have been in the millions of dollars (using the values of the time). So, if you do a little math, you can see that some serious money was made on this mine. Although, the mansion is not a bad clue either…
The mansion is reported to have remained in use after the mine stopped operating and there are stories of grand events and parties that took place there until the mansion burned down (reportedly in the 1930s).
The giant mill, hoist house and other infrastructure that can be seen in the historical photographs add to the impression that this was a serious operation as well. I have seen a written report that stated that the mill had 40 stamps and had an output of thousands of tons per month in the 1890s. However, an old timer that had a relative that worked there (I can’t recall if he claimed that it was his father or grandfather) swore to me that the mill had had one hundred stamps operating at one time. Whether it was forty stamps or one hundred, it was a large mill either way.
Given the proximity of the mansion to the deafening stamp mill and other infrastructure, one can only conclude that the owners liked the sound of money being made!
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You can see the full TVR Exploring playlist of abandoned mines here: goo.gl/TEKq9L
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here: bit.ly/2wqcBDD and here: bit.ly/2p6Jip6
Several kind viewers have asked about donating to help cover some of the many expenses associated with exploring these abandoned mines. Inspired by their generosity, I set up a Patreon account. So, if anyone would care to chip in, I’m under TVR Exploring on Patreon.
Thanks for watching!
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Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them - nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever.
I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
Пікірлер: 161
I love the historical photos! Looking forward to part 2
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Just posted it!
Awesome to see the place back in the day, sad the nice mansion is completely gone
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Absolutely. I would love to have seen it in place...
Needless to say this was a huge operation. Those houses were very large and looked elaborate for a mining camp. Looking forward to part 2.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Much more than a mining camp, to be sure... This was a huge operation. The pictures we found just show a part of it.
Hard to get my head around the size of this operation - the historical photos helped! Can't wait for part 2!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
I just posted the second part...
What a site! So massive! I kept wondering what one could see if the brush and leaves weren't there. Many clues hidden, so little time. This is a noteworthy explore for sure! Thanks Justin and Crew!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thank you. Yes, I wish that we had passed over the area right after the forest fire from a couple of years ago as the brush fills back in very quickly.
At 43 minutes. The square rock foundation with the large pipe nearby, could have been a hydro power generator. Maybe a Pelton wheel system….?
Very cool!! Especially thank you for the very rare historical photos adding context along the way. Heres hoping there's more of it in part 2. EXCELLENT CHOICE to share photos of the men working back in the day - proper way to honor them!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, it is wonderful when we can locate historical photos of the mines that we visit. I wish that more mines had been photographed in the past!
At 43 min. The foundation with the pipe next to it. Seems to located at the point of maximum drop on the site. Think that was the location for a Pelton wheel? Great to see the OG McBride
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
OG in the house!🤘🏻
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Good point about the Pelton wheel... That is certainly very possible (especially as those power poles and lines were just above it).
That is an incredible amount of surface work for a single shaft! How monsterous where those underground workings? Thanks for sharing 🇨🇦
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Nine levels were drifted off of the shaft and there were other adits in the area (that we know of). As you'll see in Part 2, there is a lot more here than was stated in the reports.
WOW! I love all the old pictures that go along with this mine. It is so hard to believe that a place can look SO different in 100 plus years. I am looking forward to part 2!
Difficult to get scale from a video but the site, and every part of it, seem massive. Great video, thank you!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, this was a huge operation.
"Sudden Mr McBride sighting!" Part of our standard measurement has arrived! An object 1 McBride tall is equal to 1.25 Italians. One Italian tall is .75 of 1 McBride.
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
🤣🤣🤣🤣
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
That's a very accurate unit of measurement.
@brentkeller3826
3 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring At some point there will likely have to be a showing of the channels relative units of measure, along with something that is half to .75 of one Italian. Watching the new video on the computer while responding on mobile, was wincing at the thought of hidden winzes or sumps under the water on the way in.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
@@brentkeller3826 Yes, the hidden winzes or sumps are definitely something we'd rather avoid...
Thank you for posting. You guys are the Superman of mine exploration. The pictures of the past to the present are especially interesting.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thank you. Yes, it is great to be able to find historical photos of the mines.
You got it all. Mansion. Infrastructure. Mine. Dogs. Photos from passed times. Boy I love this site.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, this was a great one to pin down the location of. It took a few visits, but I think that it was worth it.
Good video man!
a lidar scan would be epic
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
Yes it would!
What it must have looked like on a busy day back in the time it was at it's prime. Just to have a mansion out there says alot, cool had the picture of it too.
Wow! The historic photos were a huge plus. All y'alls researching and exploring is quite a commitment!!👍👍👍👍👍
This channel is an absolute gem.. Thanks guys for documenting so much before it gets lost..
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thanks for watching!
Astounding how large that operation was.
Very cool detective work! Looking forward to part duece!
It’s been a pleasure meeting and exploring with you and TVR crew. Thank You…
That is a lot to explore, would have loved to see that back in the day.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
So would I!
Thank you for sharing this video! What a thrill it would be to go back in time and visit this place in its heyday! I appreciate the meaningful, detailed description.
The photos helped some in orientating the levels of development near this mine. Unbelievable how you guys found the artifacts in all the undergrowth. Good job/great search! Thank you for documenting this area.
The Photos, History, this is great, part 2 as soon as this is over.... Thanks.
Humongous is an understatement!
Always good to see Adit Addicts make an appearance and use his terminator vision to somehow see all the relics buried under years of leaves and debris. hehe. :) Glad to see he is doing well, as are the rest of the gang. Was fun watching yall trying to piece together all the artifacts to get a lay of the land... and then to share photos so we could follow along. nice explore!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Haha, yes, Adit Addicts and his eyes are always very welcome on trips!
That sure was a LOT to see above ground. Hope the change was as good as a holiday for you guys.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
That was an enormous operation, to be sure!
Thanks!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thank you very much, Bryan! Ha, you were walking on our heads when I was shooting the second video that I just posted.
The first mine your partner went partly into I didn't see any waste rock pile any idea where it went. Cool video as always.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thank you. The waste rock pile may have eroded away, washed away or simply been covered up by more than a century of leaves and underbrush...
You guys have been looking at a very big puzzle here wow.
Cable is the slang term for Wire Rope which is the Mfg.'s term.
That was brilliant you guys. Ace dogs by the way.👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Justin, at 31:08 that looks like one of those heavy metal barrels I explained to you way back with the heavier flat rolling rings on the barrel. Specialised use.
All the steel you found near the 41 minute mark looks like it was part of an arial ropeway system, the concrete foundations could have been for the towers or the drive motors. I also see there was a massive foundation around the 43 minute mark, by any chance was it in line with those cables I mentioned, the foundation does look big enough to be a drive mechanism support for an arial ropeway.
Good evening from gold run California
Morning from Australia mate!
@putteslaintxtbks5166
3 ай бұрын
To the lands of 15,000 old mines, hi from mid US.
Wow. Just wow...
Cool place... ❤The Dogs!❤
From now on you'll be history. You'll be history, you'll be history, you'll be history.
And at 37:17 Justin, just after you find the big boiler and pan back up towards "big bolts", there sticking out horizontally is an ash scraper for the boiler with its oval handle! Which you may not have noticed.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
I did not notice that! Great catch... Thank you.
From Florida greetings.
That has to be a big mine inside. Hope you find a way in. Thanks for the video
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Huge! Nine levels off of the shaft...
Amazing to see how many trees are at that site compared to the pictures of the mansion you showed where there were relatively few trees.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
And that's after a large forest fire from a couple of years back cleaned out a lot!
The pooch pouch 😂 so radd 🥰cool site 😎 👌
Good morning from Southeast South Dakota
Old blazes marking trails on the trees are a very cool way to know you are going somewhere! It always sucks hiking with rat dogs.... they just can't hang! It is good to keep mountain lion food with you though.
Another amazing site. In Minnesota ive seen so called waste rock piles that are placed in piles not because they don't have ore but because it happens to be a lower grade that could be processed in the future when better processing equipment would be available in the future. In mining sites there could be several of these graded massive pile set aside from tailings or overburdened. Could some of these pile your observing be similar? Do you know if anyone has sampled these sights for ore?
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
I think it's the same with mines every where lol.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, that is quite possibly the case with those piles. There was so much going on at this mine that's it is hard to figure out how everything connected. There was some brief survey work here done a few decades back. I would assume that they took samples from some of the surface stuff, but I don't know for sure.
Man i would literally build me a home out there if it's far enough away from people! That's absolutely gorgeous 😮
Please sir, may I have some more?
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Just posted Part 2...
Even though those black berry bushes are rather invasive and get in the way of everything, and very sharp, the black berries off of them are really tasty!
@sanfranciscobay
3 ай бұрын
Blackberries in the San Francisco Bay Area are about $7.99 for a container 2 inches tall x 8 inches wide x 4 inches deep. They come from Mexico and are expensive but very good. Maybe .25 cents or more per Berry.
I wonder if that place has been prospected. I figure there is enough gold left to make it pay. I will bet it burned out in a forest fire. 100 years ago.. I doubt they just walked away.
Love all of your videos. At the 1M mark your friend was tromping through a lot of poison oak/ivy. Hope none of you had issues with that pesky plant.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Thank you. There is a lot of poison oak in that area, but those were invasive blackberry bushes that he was walking through at the 1 minute mark. The poison oak doesn't have leaves on it in the winter.
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
Yet another keyboard warrior safety expert defeated in the comments section!👏👏👏👏
@teotwaki
3 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring It seems that the keyboard warrior Springfield-eo8jl is unhappy that I didn't admit that I misgendered the blackberry bushes, lol. Thanks for the correction! I should have looked closer at the leaves before commenting. Mea culpa.
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
To be fair I hate both of those damn plants.
@teotwaki
3 ай бұрын
@@ADITADDICTS LOL!!
I'm sure history buffs love this but I'm getting off,. I want to see the mine!!!
The black doggo is all about running around and exploring, the tan one, not so much. It just stands and stares at you, not really into the whole thing, or so it seems. oh yeah, and that rail is most likely pre-1920s, around 1923 rail markings were standarized, your markings don't follow the standard.
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
Good info about the rail!
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Haha, yes, you summed up their personalities perfectly! Thanks for the info about the rail. I didn't know that.
Hi Justin, wow what a huge site, like you said though they did get out millions of dollars of gold from it and I don't doubt it with all the solid Quartz lying around. Could that big stone foundation have been for the stamps as it looks strong enough to endure the weight and the stamps banging down all day long ??. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx 🥰
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, this was an impressive operation, to be sure. Indeed, the stone foundation may well have housed the mill. It seems to be in a location that would make sense and it is the right size. We couldn't find any pictures to be 100% certain though.
@SueGirling68
3 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring an awesome find either way. xx
Have you ever looked into LIDAR mapping drones? Not sure if they have gotten any cheaper, but the neat thing about them is that if you do a topo scan, you can then strip the vegetation off the landscape on the computer, and get GPS points for things like foundations and possible addits. even if it's buried in a giant brush thicket, you could see it Getting a top down view of just the landscape even more exposed than when it was in use is wild, because you can see just how much is left carved into the ground
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, we recently obtained LIDAR imagery for our core exploring area, which has certainly helped. We're still experimenting with it, but, yes, it has definitely guided a couple of recent trips. Some stuff we simply would not have known about.
@seldoon_nemar
3 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring oh man, please please please put some of that footage in your videos if you can. A site like this would be awe inspiring and whenever I see the models, it's definitely a "oh, we're _in_ the future" moment when you turn the trees off
Must have been a lot of gold there to be building a mansion to live in. It's hard to fathom what the old timers accomplished with simple machines and man power. Where did they find the calories to do work like that in remote areas that are still remote today? Definitely some tough people.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, this was the biggest mine in the area for a while. It's like a little sister to the Empire Mine in Grass Valley - right down to the mansion! And, yes, the toughness and tenacity of the old timers continues to impress me...
Wire rope is what we used for lifting heavy objects: used in cranes and hoists. What state is this mine located in. Are you in Washington?
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
California.
That old boiler dates back to maybe the early 30s.
Those blackberry bushes are everywhere here on the central Oregon coast
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
They're horrible. Not native plants...
With the current gold price.. open it again :P
There's a lot of buck rubs in that one area.
Signs or just blazes?
How many people worked there? That's a massive amount of work
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
I think at the slower point there were 80 men employed but not 100% on that info.
@autotek7930
3 ай бұрын
Dang those are real men lol. Today's guys couldn't handle that
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
@@autotek7930 I'm a maniac with a shovel, justin can attest to that, but no way on a level with those old timers. Those bastards were crazy tough for sure!
Structural work means there was shiney stuff somewhere in the hole
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Definitely!
Where is part two? Im dying to see what is beyond the gate at the drainage tunnel
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Just posted it! There's a lot more back there than we expected... It was not just a simple drain tunnel as the reports stated.
@Sawdust5764
3 ай бұрын
Sweet, someone once told me you could harvest crystals beyond that gate. Looking forward to seeing the facts myself lol
👍
I forgot how big this place is. 😶
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Huge! All of the way down the ravine...
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
@@TVRExploring I remember the all the way down part. AND the all the way back up part too lol.
If you had a gold detector you could use it against the rock and see if there’s gold in that rock?
So if you found that mule shoe with the nails all in it, does that mean the mule died right there?
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
Lol no hopefully not😂 They used the mules to haul the full ore cars out. Sometimes they'd throw a shoe and it would look about like that one with the nails in it.
I Would like to know the name of this mine.
@daveg2104
3 ай бұрын
It's easy enough to find, if you know how (it's not a secret technique though). Google Earth doesn't really show anything that I could see, and Justin gave pretty much all the information there is to know. If Justin doesn't want to say where it is, I'm not going to.
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
It is the Figgeritoutfiryerself mine.
@daveg2104
3 ай бұрын
@@Springfield-eo8jl This one was easy (if you know how). It can be fun, although I'm not 100% successful.
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
@@daveg2104Yeah you can't see a damn thing on google earth in this area unfortunately.
I have a tapered punch just like that
Do you guys get covered with TICKS with all that bush crashing?
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
During the winter?
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
Thankfully not yet. But I bathe in bug repellant esp since I work for a rice farmer.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
No, the mosquitoes, ticks, yellowjackets and other unlikeable insects are kept in check in winter. The rattlesnakes are hibernating. The poison oak is subdued. It's a good time to explore certain areas... The downsides are the limited light and, of course, the rain and snow.
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
@ADITADDICTS Have you ever tried the Sawyer Picaridin insect repellant lotion? It's pretty waterproof, claims protection up to 14 hours but I've had it last 36 hours while camping. We buy the quart size bottle with pump dispenser. Last our family of 4 through the summer and fall while camping, kayaking, home gardening, hiking, etc.
@ADITADDICTS
3 ай бұрын
@@Springfield-eo8jl No I haven't and thank you for the heads up! I'm going to have to get some, good lookin out👍🏻
Get your buddy a mic 🦻
How the hell do you just casually walk past a puppy in a backpack and not even acknowledge its existence. That is not right sir, not right at all. 🤨
@theunknown6034
3 ай бұрын
He said he was on dog duty when he showed the puppers in his pack he was carrying, but the second shot he showed it again but didn't comment on it.
@JustAnotherPaddy
3 ай бұрын
Wouldn’t be TVR if there weren’t mine exploration doggos. The untold story is that the dogs all have dual degrees in history and geology.
@TVRExploring
3 ай бұрын
Yes, those two bad dogs are an essential component of mine exploring kit.
I get a little nervous when I see dogs on the exploration
@Springfield-eo8jl
3 ай бұрын
I'm just curious, why did you feel the need to make this comment?
@otagogold2236
3 ай бұрын
@@Springfield-eo8jlto be fair there was a dog that fell down a old hidden mine shaft in the Goldfields not far from my town, fortunately they were able to rescue it
@teotwaki
3 ай бұрын
I'm certain that these guys love their dogs and wouldn't endanger them. The dogs get great exercise and have lots of exciting smells to discover too.
@beyond2k2k2k
3 ай бұрын
I feel the same way. I cringe thinking one of these dogs is going to fall down a shaft.
@alanbourne2332
3 ай бұрын
@@beyond2k2k2kdefinitely should’ve left it home alone in a cage 👌
As usual a top vid,where is this part of the country? Thanks Justin and crew from me over here in Western Australia.
@TVRExploring
2 ай бұрын
Thank you. This is in Northern California.
A comment on that concrete foundation with the bolts, judging from the size of the pit and its layout, I would bet there was a Bessemer Hit and Miss Engine on that mount. It would have likely been turning a generator or compressor, or both. If so, it was likely one of the larger models. It may have produced enough to run the tramway system. That said I could also have been a Steam Boiler and Steam Donkey engine too. At any rate I'll bet that was an engine mount of some type.