We found a gold mine on our property

[Niner]

Thanks for all your replies and insight. I've got some better pics of the inside of the adit, but they're on a different computer and I'm busy at the moment. I'll try to post them later.
cheers,
Niner

 

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[Niner]

Some background for those interested - This Butte County area has a rich gold mining history dating back to the Gold Rush of 1849 and I've read every old book I can get my hands on. But records have been lost, burned, or flooded over the years and information is scant regarding this particular mining venture. The Dogtown Nugget (54 pounds! in 1859) was found not too far from where this property is located.

We didn't make it to the bottom of a year round creek with the bulldozer. It's a steep drop of about 150 yards from where we stopped and found the adit. It's situated along a seasonal creek, and the surrounding area is just littered with white quartz. We don't know if the adit was covered up intentionally, or if dirt just eroded off the sidehill enough to back up the springwater flowing in the mine.

 

[Niner]

Down at the creek we found these rusted pipes.

 

[Peyton Manning]

could be a guano mine

 

[Niner]

And this pick with an Iron City stamp on it.

 

[burlbark]

Awesome gold mine... I dont care what people say, thats a gold mine. I would worry about stagnant water/methane and cave ins. Time to make a good cut to drain that water and get a pump and air circulation ducting in place. I have the 1948 geological guidebook Of the Mother load country, in front of me here and it has a bunch of unlisted mines dotting the hills and what minerals are present. If you shoot me a PM and a location and I can see if your mine is listed.

 

[Niner]

The water is pristine and cold. We had a couple samples tested and it's pure.
After many discussions and much research about mine safety and air sampling, curiousity got the best of me and I went in for a ways with a rope tied around me. The water is crystal clear for the first guy in, after that the silt is too stirred up to see where you're walking. I could see rail tracks and my heart was thumping.

 

[Niner]

 

[Niner]

I stopped when I saw this and came back out. The tunnel stretched on into the darkness, and the fire inside was lit. What is back there?

 

[Niner]

Looking back from where the ore cart was trapped behind a partial cave-in.

 

[burlbark]

Scary.... I had to belly crawl through one to get out on the feather river and my pack was catching the top of the shaft and I had to take it off and push it in front of me to get to a vertical shaft and crawl out. It was to narrow to turn around in and I saw light coming from above and just went for it. I wouldnt do it again.

 

[burlbark]

My historic maps only go as far north as Downieville and Sattley. Your location with the Dogtown nugget is further North and east. I have very little historical info in my library on those areas. You need a good metal detector in there.

 

[Niner]

Thanks for trying, burlbark.

Another shot of the ore cart

 

[Niner]

The next trip into the mine.

 

[Clay Diggins]

The pipe you show in the picture was made after 1900. Before that time water pipe for mining was made out rolled and riveted sheets of thin steel. Smaller pipes were made of lead or asbestos with tar coating.

You can determine the approximate age of the pipe by looking for the seam. If there is a welded seam down the length of both sides it's a bar lock pipe and was made after 1905 and probably before 1930. If it has only one welded seam it was made after 1930 and if there is no seam it was made after 1952.

The pick head has the six pointed star? Iron City tools started out small in 1858 in Pittsburg(?) and made tons of tools of all kinds until 1958. They were a very popular tool line in the later years - you could buy them in most hardware stores from 1920 until the 1960's. I don't know if the design of the pick changed during that time so I can't help you date it closer than that.

If you can define your location I can give you the name, years producing and the type of minerals mined there. PM me if you want.

I hope that helps.

 

[Clay Diggins]

Is the ore cart a side dump or a tilt dump?

 

[Niner]

I'm not sure, Clay Diggins. What does that tell you?

With an air detector in my pocket, two flashlights and a head lamp I headed in deeper. The spring water wasn't so deep and the tunnel wound back and forth as I went further in.

 

[Clay Diggins]

I'm not sure, Clay Diggins. What does that tell you?

Could tell you which way the cart considered home. The adit would be a tunnel if it went above ground on the other end. From your picture it doesn't look like a side dump would work from the side you are entering.

 

[burlbark]

Thanks for trying, burlbark. Another shot of the ore cart View attachment 958308

If you are "Anywhere" along highway 49 I have detailed maps and historic documents. Just to put that out there.

 

[jcazgoldchaser]

Pretty good chance it's haunted. Call in help



And take one of them fancy gold detectors to the area and see if they didn't miss a vein.