Bayhorse was once a bustling mining center that attracted hundreds of mining and boasted of a number of important silver mines. It is estimated that the total production in the Bayhorse area amounted to over 6.3 million oz. of silver, 37 million lb. of lead, 6.6 million lb. of copper, 39 thousand lb. of zinc […]
Ghost Towns
There are hundreds of old mining towns that are now just ghost towns, long ago abandoned after the richest minerals were extracted. These historic places can be fascinating to explore today.
One of Alaska’s Greatest Living Treasures – Gold Dredge Number 8
Gold Dredge Number 8 is a popular tourist destination in the Fairbanks area of Alaska. The site has a lot of historical significance when considering the gold mining history in Alaska as a whole, as it was the site of one of Alaska’s richest gold rushes. Each year the dredge attracts thousands of visitors who […]
Gold Rush to Bohemia – Explore this Early Oregon Mining Town
Oregon is most certainly a state that boasts a significantly rich history with regards to its gold rush heyday. Throughout the mid-late 19th century, countless people flocked to the mountains of Oregon with hopes of trying out their luck to strike it rich and change their lives forever. One of the most infamous areas of […]
Chloride, Arizona – Mining History of this Mojave Desert Gem
Chloride is a ghost town in Arizona that sprang up when silver was discovered in Mohave County. It was quite a boom town, and very rich ores were pulled from the rock for many years after the initial discovery. Unlike many of the old Arizona ghost towns, Chloride is not abandoned and according to the […]
Southern Nevada Gold Mining – Explore the Desert around Searchlight
Southern Nevada doesn’t have as much gold as the northern and central parts of the state, but there are a few areas that do in fact have some gold. Searchlight is one of these places. Searchlight, Nevada is a small town situated in the Piute Valley of Clark County. The town is quite small today, […]
Greaterville, Arizona – Gold Mining in the Santa Rita Mountains
The Greaterville gold placers were discovered by A. Smith in 1874. After this, the boom started and many people came to these highly sought after placers to get rich and start mining some gold for themselves. The area became populated and eventually formed into a small town and community that were based strictly on mining […]
Alaskan Gold – Historic Mining in the Heart of Juneau
The Silver Bow Basin area outside of Juneau was once a highly sought after mining area, with many placer mines developing in the late 19th century. Today there are still a few remnants remaining and many eager gold prospectors have found the area great for prospecting. In this article, we will look a little deeper […]
Historic Mining Towns of the Georgia Gold Rush
Georgia is home to one of the earliest gold rushes of the country. Long before the famous California gold rush of 1849 thousand of white miners swarmed the state of Georgia following the discovery of gold in 1828 near Dahlonega. The spread of the news of the discovery caused one of the earliest major gold […]
Mining near Joshua Tree National Park – The Dale District
The Dale Mining District was one of the productive gold mining towns in California for many years. Today it is one of the most visited ghost towns in the state. It is situated north of Joshua Tree National Park and south of the Cleghorn Lakes Wilderness Area. The discovery of gold in a hot desert […]
The Comstock Lode – Silver Rush to Nevada’s Mines
16 of the Richest Mining Towns & Gold Camps in Montana (Map)
The State of Montana has a rich mining history that dates back to 1850s. The state is also dotted with historical cities, towns and ghost towns that trace their origin to the early days of gold and silver mining in the state. The western part of Montana is particularly rich in gold, and there were […]
Early History of Silver Mining in Tombstone, Arizona
The history of mining in Tombstone can be traced back to 1877 when Ed Schieffelin an anti-Chiricahua Apaches scout stationed at Camp Huachuca discovered silver in the region near the Goose Flats. Ed named his claim Tombstone because he had been warned against venturing into the surrounding wilderness to their camp that the only thing […]
History of Ruby, Arizona – A Well-Preserved Mining Town
Ruby is a well-preserved ghost town in Arizona. But don’t let its humble appearance fool you. The town was once a thriving mining town with thousands of residents and numerous businesses. Gold and silver veins were first discovered near the town site on the slopes of Montana Peak in the 1700s by Spanish explorers but […]
Ghost Towns in your State – Clickable Map of the U.S.
The U.S. is dotted with thousands of old ghost towns. There were a variety of different reasons why towns failed to thrive. Most of the towns we highlight here were mining towns that failed to survive once the mines were “worked out.” The people may be gone, but they left behind some interesting old buildings […]
6 Ghost Towns in Vermont – Long Lost Mining Towns
Vermont is a beautiful state with a long history. The state is also home to numerous and interesting ghost towns and abandoned places. For an exciting fun day out with family, there are several historical ghost towns that you can visit in the state. Here are just a few of the fascinating ghost towns in […]