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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. Empire, Georgetown, Silver Plume,
Russell Gulch, Mill City, Fall River, Alice, and 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.
 | Mack – owners John Tierney, William Burk, and
William Kelly, all residents of Central City. The claim is 1200 x 150 feet
and is located on Bates Hill in the Gregory Mining district. Located in 1869.
It is a fissure vein with a crevice from two and one-half to six feet in
width, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron and copper pyrites. The stamp
rock milling ore smelts at $50 per ton and sorts from two and one-half to
sixteen ounces per ton. It is developed by one 200-foot shaft, 600 feet of
drifts, and one open cut 600 feet long. |
| Valverde (Boss Group) – Comprising the Boss,
Valverde, Boss No. 2, and Las Vegas Lodes. Each is 1500 x 150 feet.
Discovered and patented in 1882. They are all fissure veins with crevices
from two to thirty feet in width containing galena and bismuth carry silver,
which mill runs from $50 to $160 per ton. The Boss is developed by a shaft 250
feet in depth and 1,000 feet of drifts. |
| Mary Ann – Owned by James Strike, W.M. Oggerdy,
and R.B. Waters, all of Central City, Colorado, and Henry Osborn, Leadville,
Colorado; claim 1500 x 150 foot; situated on Quartz Hill above Central City
(Nevada Mining district). Located in 1878 – The vein, a fissure, with a
crevice two feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron and copper
pyrites, the stamp-rock milling, when sorted, from one and one-half to two and
one-half ounces gold per cord, and the smelting-ore about $50 per ton;
developed by a fifty-foot shaft. |
| Golden Cloud – Owners: Hal Sayr, Central City,
and Isaac F. Roe, New York, claim situated in Lake Mining District one and
one-half miles from Central City; patented in 1882, fissure vein with a
crevice from four to five feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron
pyrites, The stamp-rock milling produced five ounces of gold per cord. The
smelting ore yielded $40 per ton. The property is developed by a shaft 140
feet deep; property is worked by a fifteen horse-power engine. |
| Rialto – Owner, Thomas Mullen, Central City;
Claim situated within the limits of Central City, Central City Mining
District; fissure vein three feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and
iron and copper pyrites, The stamp-rock milling produced three and one-half
ounces of gold per cord. The smelting ore yielded $15 to $45 per ton. The
property is developed with a shaft 100 feet deep and one 250-foot adit. |
| Lake – Owner Richard Mackey, Nevadaville, claim
1,500 x 150 feet, situated on Mt. Pisgah, Lincoln Mining District; located in
1879 ; fissure vein three feet wide, containing silver-bearing ore, assaying
$100 per ton, with a quartz gangue, developed by one forty-foot shaft. |
| Hubert – Owners: Matthew Balsinger, Nevadaville,
B.H. Koch and others, claim 1000 x 150 feet, situated on Gunnell Hill, Nevada
Mining District, one mile from Central City, patented in 1878, fissure vein
with a crevice three feet wide containing gold bearing quartz and iron and
copper pyrites. The stamp-rock milling produced from two and a half to three
ounces gold per cord. The smelting ore yielded $25 per ton. The property is
developed by a shaft 385 feet deep; property is worked by a twenty
horse-power engine. |
| Colorado Champion – Owners W.M. Queen, Martin and
Thomas Pierce, all of Central City; claim 1,500 x 150 feet, situated at the
mouth of Willis Gulch, in Russell Gulch, Russell Mining District, two and a
half miles from Central City; fissure vein three feet wide, containing copper
pyrites, gray copper, and sulphurets, assaying from 50 to 150 ounces silver
per ton with a quartz gangue; developed by a shaft sixty-four feet in depth. |
| Quartz Mill Group – Comprising the Quartz Mill,
Caledonia, Exchange, Massillon lodes; John Reilly, Joseph Thatcher, and
others, Owners; claim 1,500 x 150 feet, situated in Leavenworth Gulch, Russell
District, two miles from Central City; located in 1880; developed a fissure
vein three feet wide, containing gold-bearing quartz and iron and copper
pyrites, The stamp-rock milling produced two and half to five to ten ounces of
gold per cord. The smelting ore yielded $15 to $45 per ton. The property is
developed by a number of shafts, exposing the vein for 500 feet. |
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