PAT CASEY

Ben Dugan
GCN Historical Writer

1/26/2006 - Pat Casey was a tough Irishman who arrived early in the history of Nevadaville and worked on a claim near the Burroughs Lode. He poured himself into the effort and experienced cave-ins, poor mill-runs, and the like. In 1862 he struck it rich on the Pat Casey Mine (later the Ophir). This was sold to New York Interests on Wall Street in 1863. Stock shares of Nevadaville's mines were the first of any Colorado corporation to be quoted on the Big Board of the New York Stock Exchange. Pat Casey was illiterate, but worked hard and his mine became a solid producer.

  Casey built the road to get ore from his mine in Nevadaville to the mill in Chase Gulch. This road is still referred to as The Casey. A mill was later built in Nevadaville and a trestle was built from the Pat Casey Mine (renamed the Ophir) to the mill.