Introduction
An abandoned settlement consisting of several building foundations and a mining site with placer gold deposits near the town of Elko, Nevada were recently discovered. An archaeological investigation of this site was conducted in order to determine the age of this site, and to look for clues as to why this site was abandoned. In order to do this, archaeologists completed multiple surveys as well as an excavation of the mining site. Great care was taken to preserve the site as well as the surrounding environment which is why only a singular excavation took place at this site. The survey of the abandoned settlement unveiled domestic artifacts that suggested the last time the site had been inhabited was in the early twentieth century, from the late 1920s to the early 1930s. The survey and excavation of the mining site suggested that the mining occurred sometime in the late 1800s and had ended in the early 1900s. Due to the relative dating of these findings, the time of abandonment of this settlement looks to correlate with the Great Depression and its negative impact on the economy of Nevada and the Nevadan mining industry1.
Background
Despite its notorious reputation for sex and gambling, Nevada actually has a long and less sordid history of being a mining state. Before 1859, the state had been sparsely populated by small mining camps and trading outposts as people migrated through Nevada on their way to the west coast1. In 1859, a rich silver deposit, otherwise known as the Comstock Lode was discovered in the state2. This caused an influx of people and a sudden outcropping of settlements, towns, and cities such as Virginia City. Partly due to the sudden rise in population, Nevada became a territory in 1861 and a stat...
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..."Description and History of Elko." The Nevada Travel Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
5. "Early Nevada Mining History." Nevada Mining Association. N.p., 5 Jan. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
6. "Nevada Mining Through the Great Depression and World War 2." Nevada Mining Association. N.p., 9 Feb. 2012. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
7. "Frequently Asked Questions." Nevada Mining Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2014. .
8. Hartman, Howard L., and Jan M. Mutmansky. "Introduction to Mining." Introduction to Mining Engineering. 2nd ed. N.p.: Wiley, 2002. 1-22. Print.
...ing the conditions faced by coal miners and their families in addition to events leading up to the uprising. However, some additional research should be done in regards to the West Virginia Coal Wars and the Battle of Blair Mountain.
In 1855, miners discovered Gold in the Colville mines of northeastern Washington Territory. Newspapers such as the Oregonian began running daily advertisements to attract miners into the region. Exciting articles with bold titles of “Colville Gold Mines” exclaimed that, “with a common pan we made $6, $8, $10, and as high as $20 per man!” This news created an influx of white settlement to Washington. Territorial Governor, Isaac I. Stevens encouraged the settlement and proposed to consolidate fourteen tribes w...
...sk was lured to Utah seeking to make a fortune mining uranium. Husk brought his family with him and liquidated his assets. Husk was first approached by a local pilot Charles “Chuck” Graham to purchase a forty percent share of the Hot Rock Mountain Development Company (Abbey, 1968, p. 80). Husk was delighted to initiate the partnership and enlisted his sun Billy Joe to assist him during the operation. For months Husk and Billy Joe labored, while Graham coveted Husk’s wife and share of the venture. The narrative tragically concluded in the deaths of Graham, Husk, and Billy Joe as a result of greed. These social changes not only negatively affected the landscape but affected the morality of the regions inhabitants.
As part of his campaign for Governor, Dwight Green had promised to enforce mining laws. In 1941 Governor Green appointed Robert Medill as Director of the Department of Mines and Minerals. The Mining Board makes the p...
Coal in the 1930’s: The First Lame Duck? European Union. 2002. Great Sutton Street, London. .
These two passages “There’s Still Gold in These Hills” and “Letter From a Gold Miner” help the reader understand the history and process of gold mining in the US. Both passages give detailed information, specific instructions, and an interesting background about gold mining. These passages use different strategies to help the reader perceive the history and process. These strategies may include using specific dates of when the gold rush took place, information to help the reader picture the setting of where to find gold, and also teaches the process step by step.
The tar creek mining site originally was owned by a Native American tribe, the Quapaw. The Quapaw wanted to keep these lands, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs deemed members opposing a transaction to mining companies “incompetent” (1). In such a case the business could continue and the Bureau of Indian Affairs sold the lands to mining companies. In essence these lands were stolen from the Quapaw because they were ripe for mining. These mines were then used from approximately 1891 to 1970. In the 79 years the mines were open 1.7 million metric tons (~3.75 billion pounds) of lead and 8.8 million metric tons (~19.4 billion pounds) of zinc were withdrawn from the mine (2). The entire area around Tar Creek is known as the tri-state mining area. This tri-state area was a massive source of metals. This area accounted for 35% of the all worldwide metal for a decade. It also provided the majority of metals the United States used in World wars I and II (3).
Smith-Baranzini, Marlene, Richard J. Orsi, and James J. Rawls. A Golden State: Mining And Economic Development In Gold Rush California. Berkeley, California: University of California Press, 1999. eBook (EBSCOhost). Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
All throughout Colorado there has been many developments and expansions. One of these developments is the railroad system. Railroads were and still are such an essential means of transportation for people as well for industries involving coal and fuel, and many other things. There are many key players and developers that took part in revitalizing Colorado in the 1870s. Some of these key players that contributed to the territory’s growth were William A.H. Loveland, Edward L. Berthoud, Henry M. Teller, and William Jackson Palmer.
“Smith, John L.” Las Vegas Review Journal. 7 Feb. 1999. Web. 24 Feb. 2014. .
California was becoming known for its entrepreneurial opportunities; soon many were coming to California, not to work in the mining filed, rather to set up business and cater to the mining communities. Soon there were saloons, hotels, and red light districts spread throughout San Francisco and outer mining communities. Women who were forced to rely on men to support them back home, came to California and were able to work and support themselves in these towns.
A mere quarter-century later, virtually all this country had been carved into states and territories. Miners had ranged over the whole of the mountain country, tunneling into the earth, establishing little communities in Nevada, Montana and Colorado. Cattle ranchers, taking advantage of the enormous grasslands, had laid claim to the huge expanse stretching from Texas to the upper Missouri River. Sheepherders had found their way...
the capital, and Nevada City. By the 1870's most of the gold had been extracted. A
As stated in the text for much of the early history of Nevada it was never considered as a place for settlement but instead used for quicker and easier trails to California or trapping expeditions. The Mexican-American war, the movement of the Mormons into the West, and the search for mineral wealth all indirectly ended up leading to the settlement of the territory.
Coil, D., McKittrick, E., and Higman, B. (2010, December 16). Acid Mine Drainage. Ground Truth Trekking. Retrieved February 12, 2011, from http://www.groundtruthtrekking.org/Issues/MetalsMining/AcidMineDrainage.html