More historic gold mines of Gilpin County

Ben Dugan
GCN Historical Writer

  In February 1861 the new Territory of Colorado was organized into 17 counties. Mountain County was one of those. Mountain County became Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties. Also in 1861 the mining industry began to curtail itself – Eastern investment was needed to develop the mining districts running into quartz and other such complex rock. John Gregory discovered the Gregory Lode in 1859 and George Jackson also discovered gold in Idahoe (Idaho Springs) in 1859. The history of these two mining camps is quite similar. Mountain City, Black Hawk, Empire, Georgetown, Silver Plume, Idahoe (Idaho Springs), Spanish Bar, Russell Gulch, Mill City, Fall River, Alice, and Nevada (Nevadaville) all came into existence at similar times early in the State of Colorado’s recordable history. Many mines sprung up at this time. These are descriptions of a few of Gilpin County’s mines: 

Anchor Milling and Mining Company -  Incorporated under the laws of Missouri; secretary and treasurer, J. Beggs, St. Louis, MO, General Manager, A.M. Stedman, Nevadaville, CO, offices St. Louis, MO and Nevadaville, CO.; owns the Ancient and Helmer-Martin lodes, 3700 x 150 feet, 3000 x 150 feet of which is patented; situated in Willis Gulch, Russell Mining District; veins all fissures, with crevices from two and one-half to three feet in width, containing iron and copper pyrites carrying gold, which when processed runs $25 to $60 per ton; Ancient (developed by a shaft fifty feet in depth, and Helmer-Martin by a shaft 160 feet in depth, the latter having produced very largely. A ten-stamp stamp mill is situated in Willis Gulch, near the mines. The main building is 100 x 75 feet. There is motive power in the form of a fifty-horse power engine, with a capacity to treat ten tons of ore in twenty-four hours.

Belden & Tennel Mining Company -  Incorporated under the laws of Colorado, 1875, Capital Stock $500,000 in 100,000 shares of $5 each, non-assessable; president, D.D. Belden, Denver, CO, secretary, Alonzo Furnald; treasurer, Fred Kruse-both Central City, CO; owns the Belden Tunnel site, 3000 x 6 feet; situated in Chase Gulch, Gregory Mining District, at Central City; located in 1875 and patented in 1876; on which a tunnel has been driven 600 feet in length, opening up six veins, on which the George W. Ellery, Alonzo Furnald, Black Quartz, Herbert Spencer, R.P. Ramsey, Louis Napoleon, and Arapahoe, 1500 x 150 feet each; veins all fissures, from three to seven feet in width, containing gold bearing quartz and iron pyrites, the stamp-rock milling at $12 per ton. Note:  Fred Kruse was a member of the Ida Kruse McFarlane family. Ida Kruse-McFarlane was responsible for organizing and re-opening the Central City opera house in the 1930’s.

Camp Grove – John, George and A.T. Sparks, all of Nevadaville, owners. Claim is 660 x 150 feet. Situated on Quartz Hill, Nevada Mining District, at Nevadaville; located in 1860, and patented in 1879 after years of development work. The paystreak is eighteen inches wide and consists of a fissure vein bearing quartz and iron and copper pyrites. The stamp rock mills from three to twelve ounces gold per cord, and the smelting material brought about $50 per ton. It was developed by an eighty-five-foot shaft.

Cyclops Silver Mining Company - Incorporated under the laws of New York, October 21, 1882; capital stock $500,00 in 100,000 shares of $5 each. Non-assessable; president and manager W.D. Cameron, New York City; vice-president, Sidney W. Tyler, Central City, Colorado; offices located at 139 Broadway New York and Central City, Colo. The company owns the Cyclops, Cyclops No. 2, St. James and Julia lodes, 1500 by 150 feet each; situated on Silver Mountain, Enterprise Mining District; located in 1878 and patented in 1882. The veins are all fissures with crevices from one to five feet wide and pay streaks from eight to thirty inches. The paystreak contains galena in a quartz gangue, which mills at a value of 109 ounces of silver per ton. It is developed by one main shaft 350 feet in depth, with levels of 100 feet aggregating seventy-two feet; worked by a forty five horse power engine and other improved machinery; The company performed much development work during 1882. This mine averages 125 ounces of silver per ton.

Denver Gold Company – Incorporated under the laws of Great Britain; capital stock 60,000 Francs, in 60,000 shares of 1 Franc each; President F. Powell; secretary, J.Jameson Truraw—both of London, England. General Manager, F.S. Craven of Nevadaville, Colorado. Offices were at 184 Gresham House Road, London, England and Nevadaville, CO. Denver gold company owns the Kansas and Kansas extension. Both mines situated on Quartz Hill in the Nevada Mining District. Veins all fissures located in 1860. The company also owns a stamp mill situated at Nevadaville. The main building at the mine-site is 100 x 100 feet and contains fifty-two stamps with a capacity to treat fifty tons of ore in twenty four hours.

Del Norte – Edward H. Henderson and the estate of John Smock, both of Central City, Colo. Owners; claim 1500 x 150 feet; situated on Silver Hill, Enterprise Mining district, at the town of Black Hawk; located in 1875; vein a fissure, with a crevice three feet wide, containing gray copper and galena assaying 330 oz. silver per ton, with a quartz gangue; developed by a shaft eighty feet in depth and a tunnel thirty feet in length, on the vein.

The Empress Mining Company – Incorporated under the laws of New York, in 1879; capital stock $500,000, in 250,000 shares of $2 each, non-assessable; president James Howell; secretary and treasurer J. Schenk—Both Brooklyn New York; general manager Peter French, Central City; offices at 13 Barclay Street, New York City, and Central City; owns the Empress Lode, 1500 x 150 ft; situated on Mammoth Hill; Lake Mining district, three-fourths of a mile from Central City; located in 1875, and patented in 1879; vein a fissure, with a crevice from two to four feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron and copper pyrites, the stamp-rock milling, when sorted, from one ½ to ten oz. gold per cord, and the smelting material yielding from $50 to $100 per ton; developed by a shaft 420 feet in depth and 500 feet of drifts; improvements—one fifty-horse-power engine, with the necessary buildings.

Fisk – Thos. S. Moore, New York, trustee; G.E. Randolph, Central City, Colo., agent; claim 290 x 50 feet situated at Black Hawk, Gregory Mining district; located in 1859, patented in 1870; vein a fissure, with a crevice from one to three feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron pyrites, the stamp rock milling, when sorted, from three to eleven oz. gold per cord, and the smelting-material yielding about $25 per ton; developed by a shaft 700 feet deep; output $500,000; the property being worked to a depth of 500 feet and being held under lease to December 1884.

Prospector – W.H. Knight and others, Boston MA, owners; claim 1500 x 150 feet; situated in Chase Gulch, Quartz Valley Mining District; located in 1879, and patented in 1881; vein a fissure four feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron and copper pyrites, the stamp-rock milling, when sorted, from two to three ounces gold per cord, and the smelting-ore from $15 to $45 per ton; developed by one shaft 170 feet deep and 400 feet of levels; worked by an eighteen-horse-power engine.