Miner’s in the Sierra Foothills – Part III

This is the conclusion of the article from guest blogger Paul Beacham.  This part of the article has to do with local mines in our area!

The following are just a few of literally hundreds of mines in our area.

Negro Hill Mine
The Negro Hill Mine was a placer gold mine that was in operation many years ago. It was located three miles to the northeast of Placerville at Negro Hill. The deposit of gold bearing, ancient river gravel at this location was mined by drifting and hydraulics.

Slate Mountain Mines
Three miles northwest of Slate Mountain (southeast of Georgetown) was the Slate Mountain Mine, a lode gold mine. It was active intermittently from 1921 to 1941 and again in 1951. A one and one-half to six foot-wide vein of gold-bearing quartz was developed by a 600-foot crosscut adit and 2400 feet of drifts. The ore was treated in a 10-stamp mill.  A second Slate Mountain Mine, near Slate Mountain, was a lode gold mine. The deposit consisted to two veins of gold-bearing quartz that was developed prior to 1898 through a 100-foot shaft.

White Owl Mine
Near Red Bird Creek, two miles southeast of Mosquito Camp (Swansboro Country area) was the White Owl Mine, a lode gold mine. It was active in 1938 when a one and one-half to three foot wide vein of gold bearing quartz was developed by a 65-foot inclined shaft.  The ore, which yielded up to $65 per ton, was treated in a two-ton Gibson Mill.

A copy of the Miners 10 commandments - CA State Library

Darling (Chanced Upon) Mine
The Darling (Chanced Upon) Mine was four miles northeast of Spanish Flat. A two-foot vein of gold bearing quartz in slate yielded $5 to $6 per ton in free gold. The deposit was developed by a 190-foot shaft. The ore was treated on site in a 10-stamp mill.

Independence Mine
The Independence Mine was a lode gold mine two miles southwest of the town site of El Dorado. The ore was found in pockets and was mined prior to 1914.  A second Independence Mine was a lode gold mine four miles northwest of Slate Mountain and about five miles southeast of Georgetown. It was active in 1933, when the ore was treated in a 2-stamp mill.

Ida Livingston Mine
The Ida Livingston Mine was a lode gold mine on the Mother Lode, one mile north of Kelsey. The deposit consisted of a rich, 25-foot  gold-bearing quartz vein that yielded up to $26 per ton of ore. It was mined prior to 1914 through a 150-foot shaft.

The above mine information obtained at – County of El Dorado

Thank you Paul for your contribution! There is a mine not mentioned in this list that is local to Placerville, and that would be Gold Bug Mine. I will be making a visit there soon, so look for a photo blog and a bit more history from Life in the Foothills!