Mining in the West

Mining Boom By the mid 1850s, the California Gold Rush had ended and miners began looking elsewhere Pike’s Peak - Gold found in 1858 and by 1859, 50,000 miners were there Lodes - veins of rich minerals in the soil dug by machines and companies, not individuals Comstock Lode - Largest silver mine in US, $700,000,000 in silver brought out in 20 years from a depth of 3200 feet By the mid 1850s, the California Gold Rush had ended and miners began looking elsewhere Pike’s Peak - Gold found in 1858 and by 1859, 50,000 miners were there Lodes - veins of rich minerals in the soil dug by machines and companies, not individuals Comstock Lode - Largest silver mine in US, $700,000,000 in silver brought out in 20 years from a depth of 3200 feet

Pike’s Peak, Colorado 14, 110 feet in elevation

Techniques of Mining Panning - water from a river bed swished around a pan Sluice Box - water from river runs over a strainer and men shovel dirt into it Hydraulic mining - Water blasted onto sides of mountains to force erosion (big companies) Excavation Mining - Big companies dig caves into mountains thousands of feet deep - very dangerous (cave-ins, lack of oxygen, lots of heat) Panning - water from a river bed swished around a pan Sluice Box - water from river runs over a strainer and men shovel dirt into it Hydraulic mining - Water blasted onto sides of mountains to force erosion (big companies) Excavation Mining - Big companies dig caves into mountains thousands of feet deep - very dangerous (cave-ins, lack of oxygen, lots of heat)

Panning for Gold (not very successful)

Sluice Box Mining

Hydraulic Mining (more effective, needs men and machines)

Boom and Bust Boom Towns - towns that spring up overnight because of miners –Lawlessness, lively, dangerous –Filled largely with young, single men –Lots of guns, cash, and theft Vigilantes - volunteers who try to maintain law and order in Boom Towns Boom Towns - towns that spring up overnight because of miners –Lawlessness, lively, dangerous –Filled largely with young, single men –Lots of guns, cash, and theft Vigilantes - volunteers who try to maintain law and order in Boom Towns

Saloon 10, by Charles Hargen

Vigilantes

Warning: Grim Image

Ghost Towns Towns abandoned by miners when the mine dries up Often, all that was left was old buildings Towns abandoned by miners when the mine dries up Often, all that was left was old buildings

New States Created Because of mining populations, many new states were added to the U.S. Colorado (1876) North and South Dakota, Washington, Montana (1889) Idaho and Wyoming (1890) Because of mining populations, many new states were added to the U.S. Colorado (1876) North and South Dakota, Washington, Montana (1889) Idaho and Wyoming (1890)