KGCnewbieseeker
Sr. Member
Confederate general John C. Breckinridge had politics in his blood. The son of a U.S. senator who had also served as attorney general, John C. Breckinridge would continue a life of politics and public service. Born in 1821, he was admitted to the bar in 1840 after attending and graduating from several prestigious universities. After serving in the Mexican War, Breckinridge was elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives. In 1851 he was elected to the 32nd Congress, in 1853 he was re-elected. Finally, in 1856 John C. Breckinridge became the 15th Vice-President of the United States with James Buchanan as President. He was at the height of his political career.
In 1859, the first American prospectors penetrated the rugged mountains along the headwaters of Colorado's Blue River in search of gold. Just west of the Continental Divide they found it in abundance. The mining camp that sprang up along the Blue River was christened "Breckinridge" in honor of the illustrious Vice-President, John C. Breckinridge. To the staunch Unionists in the mining camp, it seemed fitting to honor him so but when Breckinridge sided with the South in 1861, the indignant miners back in Colorado promptly changed the spelling of their town to "Breckenridge".
By 1880, the famous Breckenridge Mining District had established itself as one of Colorado's premier gold and silver-producing regions. Like a magnet, it drew prospectors and miners from all parts of the country. One of the many newcomers to the Breckenridge area was a young "tenderfoot" who was destined to find and then lose an incredibly rich deposit of gold in the mountains southeast of town. Although his name has been lost to posterity, the legend of his fabulous find has survived.
It was not the first time that a rich mine had been lost in the Breckenridge area. During the late 1850's, a deposit of gold-bearing fault gouge was worked by two Missouri prospectors. Consisting of a light-colored gold-bearing clay, the deposit was said to be located in a shear zone somewhere on or
near Big Baldy. During the early 1860's, a lone miner known only as "Trapper Sam" was reputed to have a rich mine located somewhere in the mountains overlooking Breckenridge. The Lost Bear Mountain gold mine and the Lost Huntsman Mine are both said to be in the vicinity of Breckenridge.
In any case, the novice prospector who ascended the mountain slopes above Breckenridge that summer of 1880 apparently stumbled on a small vein of wire gold similar to that found at the famous "Wire Patch" on Farncomb Hill. Located only 5 miles east of Breckenridge, Farncomb Hill turned out to be one of the richest pieces of real estate in Colorado mining history. The young tenderfoot had just made the discovery of a lifetime!
Although he was reeling with excitement, the novice prospector had the presence of mind to survey his surroundings and fix his location on the mountain. From his position he could see the Warrior's Mark Mine to the east and Breckenridge to the northwest. He then proceeded to dig out some 20 pounds of wire gold from the vein!
Finally, the young man made his way back to town where his bulging satchel of wire gold instantly produced a frenzy of excitement. The local miners went wild. But the tenderfoot prospector and the horde of gold-seekers who followed him into the mountains above Breckenridge just couldn't locate the vein of gold. They never did. From the description given by the young prospector, some researchers have placed the Lost Tenderfoot Mine on Bald Mountain, others on Red Mountain. To this day, the mine remains hidden.
In 1859, the first American prospectors penetrated the rugged mountains along the headwaters of Colorado's Blue River in search of gold. Just west of the Continental Divide they found it in abundance. The mining camp that sprang up along the Blue River was christened "Breckinridge" in honor of the illustrious Vice-President, John C. Breckinridge. To the staunch Unionists in the mining camp, it seemed fitting to honor him so but when Breckinridge sided with the South in 1861, the indignant miners back in Colorado promptly changed the spelling of their town to "Breckenridge".
By 1880, the famous Breckenridge Mining District had established itself as one of Colorado's premier gold and silver-producing regions. Like a magnet, it drew prospectors and miners from all parts of the country. One of the many newcomers to the Breckenridge area was a young "tenderfoot" who was destined to find and then lose an incredibly rich deposit of gold in the mountains southeast of town. Although his name has been lost to posterity, the legend of his fabulous find has survived.
It was not the first time that a rich mine had been lost in the Breckenridge area. During the late 1850's, a deposit of gold-bearing fault gouge was worked by two Missouri prospectors. Consisting of a light-colored gold-bearing clay, the deposit was said to be located in a shear zone somewhere on or
near Big Baldy. During the early 1860's, a lone miner known only as "Trapper Sam" was reputed to have a rich mine located somewhere in the mountains overlooking Breckenridge. The Lost Bear Mountain gold mine and the Lost Huntsman Mine are both said to be in the vicinity of Breckenridge.
In any case, the novice prospector who ascended the mountain slopes above Breckenridge that summer of 1880 apparently stumbled on a small vein of wire gold similar to that found at the famous "Wire Patch" on Farncomb Hill. Located only 5 miles east of Breckenridge, Farncomb Hill turned out to be one of the richest pieces of real estate in Colorado mining history. The young tenderfoot had just made the discovery of a lifetime!
Although he was reeling with excitement, the novice prospector had the presence of mind to survey his surroundings and fix his location on the mountain. From his position he could see the Warrior's Mark Mine to the east and Breckenridge to the northwest. He then proceeded to dig out some 20 pounds of wire gold from the vein!
Finally, the young man made his way back to town where his bulging satchel of wire gold instantly produced a frenzy of excitement. The local miners went wild. But the tenderfoot prospector and the horde of gold-seekers who followed him into the mountains above Breckenridge just couldn't locate the vein of gold. They never did. From the description given by the young prospector, some researchers have placed the Lost Tenderfoot Mine on Bald Mountain, others on Red Mountain. To this day, the mine remains hidden.
