The lure of gold in the American West beckoned to thousands of hungry settlers eager to stake a claim, reap the wealth, and escape often difficult conditions at home, whether Eastern cities, Europe or China. Prospectors found that veins of gold and silver were elusive and could dry up suddenly. Forced to move often in search of the next big lode, they left behind them hundreds of mining camps and settlements, many of which still exist across the Western landscape.
This reference work catalogs silver and gold mining camps by state in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. Each entry includes location, names of known miners, year of discovery, and ore value. Unique details of each camp are given, including historical events, buildings and businesses present. Interesting anecdotes abound about the resident miners. The work is indexed by topic and mine, and appendices offer a glossary and the Miners’ Ten Commandments (Placerville [California] Herald, 1853).

A member of the American Name Society, Sandy Nestor lives in Medford, Oregon.

Sandy Nestor
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 279
Bibliographic Info: 109 photos, glossary, appendix, notes, bibliography, indexes
Copyright Date: 2013 [2007]
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7515-5
Imprint: McFarland

Acknowledgments      vii
Preface      1

ALASKA      5
ARIZONA      19
CALIFORNIA      37
COLORADO      112
IDAHO      133
MONTANA      142
NEVADA      159
NEW MEXICO      202
OREGON      215
UTAH      226
WASHINGTON      234
WYOMING      243

Glossary      245
Appendix: The Miner’s Ten Commandments      247
Notes      249
Bibliography      253
Index      261

“fascinating…intriguing…enjoyable”—ARBA.