The Mining Industry In Josephine County

1850 to 2013

Discovery of Gold

The discovery of gold on Josephine Creek and Canyon Creeks by the Rollins Party in July of 1850 was regarded as the first economically important gold find in Oregon.

Other important gold discoveries were made at Sailor Diggings (later called Waldo) in 1851, as well as Althouse Creek and Galice Creek in 1852.

The First Miners

The First Miners

The first miners in Josephine County worked the creeks of the area with only rudimentary tools, namely a gold pan, a pick and shovel and a homemade Rocker Box or Long Tom.

While considerable gold was recovered, due to the limitations of hand labor, only the surface was scratched.

Rise of the Placer Mines

Hydraulic Mining

By the early 1860's, extensive bodies of gold bearing ancient river gravels were discovered throughout the county.

Miles of ditches, flumes, dams and reservoirs were built to transport water to these mineral deposits, requiring large investments of capital and local labor between 1860 and 1942.

Quartz Mining

Underground Mining

Lode deposits of gold bearing quartz were first discovered in Josephine County by Cassidy, Simms and White in 1858 at what later became the Sugar Pine Mine near Galice. In 1859 and 1860, other discoveries were made near Grants Pass at the Jewett Mine and also at the Cohen Ledge in the Illinois Valley.

While the Cohen became heavily capitalized in the early 1860's, gold quartz deposits in Josephine County were mostly neglected until the 1874 discovery of the Yank Ledge near Galice.

Important Gold Mines

In Josephine County, over 470 known gold mines and prospects remain hidden in the surrounding hills and river valleys. While many made only small productions, a significant number of placer and quartz mines were such large operations that they made important contributions to the local economy and our infrastructure.

The Granite Hill Mine

The Granite Hill Mine

Location: Louse Creek. 9 miles east of Merlin Era of Operation: 1901 to 1916 Known Production: 10,000+ troy ounces The Granite Hill Mine consisted of 460 acres and was heavily

developed between 1902 to 1907. Development included 12,000 feet of underground workings, a 20 Stamp Mill, a sawmill and extensive buildings to house equipment and employees. At its height, over 200 people lived on the property, which even boasted a schoolhouse and a cemetery. The mine closed abruptly in 1916 despite the discovery of a rich new ore body when a new pump proved inadequate to keep water from flooding the mine's lowest levels.

The Greenback Mine

The Greenback Mine

Location: 5 miles east of Sunny Valley Era of Operation: 1897 to 1940. Known Production: 150,000+ ounces The Greenback Mine consisted of 240 acres and was the

second most productive gold mine in Oregon. Development included a 40 Stamp Mill, 7000 feet of aerial tramway and over 7000 feet of underground workings. At its height, the mine employed over 100 men and gave rise to the town of Placer which had a population of 350 people who were supported by the mine in some way. The mine closed in 1940 after a series of accidents. Recent geological examinations indicate the mine still has a half billion dollars in reserves.

The Old Channel Mine

The Old Channel Mine

Location: 2 miles west of Galice Era of Operation: 1860 to 1942 Known Production: 115,000+ ounces The Old Channel Mine consisted of over 757 acres of ancient

river channel deposits and was the largest hydraulic mine in Oregon, as well as one of the largest on the West Coast. Development included several large “pits” ranging 100 to 200 feet deep and up to a ¼ mile across. 13 miles of ditch supplied water to the mine. At its height, Old Channel was one of the largest employers in the county, employing large crews of not only miners, but also ditch tenders. The mine closed during WW2. About 150 acres remains un-mined.

The Almeda Mine

The Almeda Mine

Location: 4 miles north of Galice Era of Operation: 1900 to 1916 Known Production: 1500+ ounces of gold,

48,000+ ounces of silver, 260,000+ lbs of copper, 7200+ lbs of lead.

The Almeda is one of the most famous mines in Oregon and was extensively developed, especially between 1908 and 1916. At one time the mine was the area's largest employer, especially after a smelter was installed in 1908. Development for the mine included the construction of more than 15 miles of road between Merlin and Galice, the first into the Galice Country.

The Benton Mine

The Benton Mine

Location: 8 miles north of Galice Date of Operation: 1893 to 1942 Known Production: 50,000+ ounces The Benton Mine is one of the leading gold producers in the

State of Oregon. Prior to its shut down in 1942, it employed up to 60 men. Dutch Mining re-opened the property in 1994 for exploration and installed a mill at Merlin. In 2008, the State of Oregon shut the Benton down for not obtaining “adequate bonding” and for allegedly not controlling waste water. According to geologists who worked in the mine, the Benton contains over a half million ounces of gold reserves that could be economically extracted at a profit.

Gold Production

Uses of Gold

Contrary to the propaganda of environmentalists, gold is used in society for far more than for jewelry or for investing.

Gold is used in dentistry to create fillings and in the medical industry to treat arthritis and cancer, as well as in the components of medical devices such as pacemakers.

Gold is utilized in the aerospace industry to deflect radiation and other uses. Space shuttles, as a single example, contained nearly 90 pounds of gold.

Gold is also widely used in electronics such as computers, phones, microwave ovens, GPS devices, calculators, alarm clocks and others due to its ability to resist corrosion.

Gold Productionin Josephine County

Mint Receipts between 1850-1979 567,989 Troy Ounces Today's Value: $747,473,524 Much gold produced in this area never made it to the U.S.

Mint as it was used as a medium of exchange for goods and services. Consequently, considerable production was never officially reported.

Silver

Uses of Silver

Silver is widely in society.

In addition to use in jewelry and as a medium of exchange, silver is also widely used in dentistry, electronics, in the medical industry, in the food industry and in the production of alternative energy technology such as solar panels.

Silver Production

Mint Receipts from 1902-1979 315,118 Troy Ounces Today's Value: $6,907,386.56

Josephine County's silver production is mostly a byproduct of gold mining. Only at the Almeda Mine near Galice was silver purposefully mined.

Copper

Uses of Copper

Copper was one of the first metals ever extracted and used by humans, and it has made vital contributions to sustaining and improving society since the dawn of civilization.

Copper is used in building construction, power generation and transmission, electronic product manufacturing, and the production of industrial machinery and transportation vehicles. Copper wiring and plumbing are integral to the appliances, heating and cooling systems, and telecommunications links used every day in homes and businesses. It is an essential component in the motors, wiring, radiators, connectors, brakes, and bearings used in cars and trucks. The average car contains 0.9 mile of copper wire, and the total amount of copper ranges from 44 pounds in small cars to 99 pounds in luxury and hybrid vehicles.

Copper Production

Mint Receipts from 1899 to 1979 6,929,244 Pounds Today's Value: $22,632,989.68

Bulk of Josephine County's copper production took place between 1902 and 1920.

Chromium

Uses of Chromium

Chromium is used to harden steel. It is a component of stainless steel and many other alloys. The metal is commonly used for plating to produce a shiny, hard surface that is resistant to corrosion. Chromium is used as a catalyst. It is added to glass to produce an emerald green color. Chromium compounds are important as pigments, mordants, and oxidizing agents.

Chromium Mining

Chromium Production

Production occurred in 1917 to 1918, 1943 to 1948 and 1955 to 1958, aggregating only twelve years.

Production: 48,941 long tons Today's Value: $114,862,569.36

Limestone & Nickel Historically productive deposits of Nickel found near Eight

Dollar Mountain, Rough and Ready Creek and Galice.

Historically productive deposits of limestone found between Deer Creek and Williams Creek in the Lower Applegate. Namely at Marble Mountain Quarry, Jones Quarry and Horsehead Quarry.

Total production of limestone and nickel in Josephine County is unknown.

Other Minerals Foundin Josephine County

Lead, Zinc, Manganese, Mercury, Molybdenum, Tellurium, Platinum, Iridium, Osmium, Asbestos, Barite, Soapstone, Misc. Gemstones, Josephinite, Oregonite, Aluminum, Cobalt, Iron, Bentonite Clay, Talc, Antimony and many others.

Most of the minerals found in the county have been worked on a commercial level in the past.

Played Out?

It is generally thought that the mines of this county simply played out. The reality is that local mining practices barely scratched the surface of our local mineral resources, especially in regards to lode mining.

Of Josephine County's 470+ local mines, less than ten would be regarded as “deep mines”.

It is estimated that over 90% of Josephine County's Mineral Wealth remains untapped.

What Happened To Mining?As mining engineer, F.W. Libbey remarked in his famous 1963 article

“Lest We Forget” (ORE BIN, Volume 25, No 6, June 1963), “Gold mining was originally the mainstay of the economy of southern Oregon. It started settlements, built roads and schools, promoted local government, and established law and order. It was about the only source of new wealth and was a common means of earning a livelihood. It is now at best only a token if its past. Not only is gold mining as an industry dead, but its history and knowledge of its individual mines, which formerly represented a large part of the area's payrolls, are fading into the hazy past. The critical point in its downfall was World War 2's Administrative Order L-208, which was designed to stop the mining of gold, thus forcing miners to seek employment in base-metal mines, especially copper, in which there was supposed to be a shortage of miners. The order failed essentially to accomplish its objective, but the final result was to deal a crushing blow to gold mining.”

Mining Today

Mining Today

Most of the mining taking place in Josephine County today is aimed at placer gold, utilizing only very small gasoline powered equipment, such as so-called “suction dredges” and “highbankers”.

Virtually all local mining takes place on the over 1500 mining claims located upon the Federal Estate managed by the BLM or USFS.

Typical Local Operation

Metal Detecting For Gold

A Few Larger Placer Operations

New Interest in Quartz Mining

Impediments to Mining

Environmental Groups

Government Interference

Beuracracy

How Do We Save Mining?

Better publicity of our local mineral resources and their modern uses.

Increased public awareness of mining's integral impact on Josephine County's economic history.

Legislation to protect the rights of miners and their unique mineral properties.

Finding ways to block the interference of environmental groups who seek to hamper our local prosperity by locking up our natural resources.