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LOOKING FOR THE TYPICAL MINING CAMP
Mining history article by Harold Hough Dec/Jan 2009

For those of us who enjoy mining history, there is a big hole when it comes to places to visit. On one end, there are the tourist towns with a mining heritage; Virginia City, Tombstone, Bisbee, Leadville, etc. They do have museums, but they tend to focus on the rowdy side of a miner’s life like bars, dance halls, and such. And, they seem more interested in making money than giving you a real taste of mining life in the late 1800s.

Then, there are the ghost towns. Although they dot the western United States, most are only a handful of foundations and the jail (it seems that the sturdily built jails are the only structures that manage to survive for a century). Although they are definitely authentic, a bunch of loose stones and holes in the ground don’t give you an idea of how miners lived in the Old West.

Unfortunately, there are few offerings in the middle – authentic buildings that give you an idea of how miners lived and worked. In many cases, souvenir hunters have stripped the sites down to the foundations. Others that are on private property have been protected, but often they tend to be “sanitized.” They lack the raw look that most mining camps had.

There is one abandoned mining camp that does fit the bill as realistic. It’s in Carson, Colorado and it doesn’t cost anything to visit. Of course, it’s at an elevation of 12,000 feet, at the end of a trail that can only be traveled by a four-wheel drive vehicle. But thanks to its remote location on the Continental Divide it has survived much as it did the day the miners left (although some of the buildings are showing the wear of a century of exposure). And, as an added bonus, it has a scenic view of the San Juan Mountains that will captivate anyone not interested in mining.

CARSON

So, how is it that a mining camp was established in one of the most remote places in the Continental United States? Christopher Carson staked a claim in 1882 for what would become the Bonanza King Silver Mine right on the top of the Continental Divide. When the news got out, prospectors and miners came in and set up a mining camp around the Bonanza King Mine and named it after the discoverer of the claim.
Although the location was remote, miners and prospectors were soon staking and working over 150 silver claims. Since there were no wagon trails up to the town, at first goods had to be packed in and ore packed out by mule until a trail was hastily finished.

However, for a while it looked like the trail might never get much business. It was finished in 1883, just as the US government went to the gold standard. As silver prices collapsed and the demand for silver declined, many miners left for greener (and warmer) pastures. In fact, due to the harsh climate, the shortage of supplies, and the poor accommodations, the town was nearly deserted during the winter.
However, mining continued when the weather permitted and an additional trail was cut up to the town from the east for the ore wagons and supplies. The Bonanza King Mine continued to produce and new mines like the Thor and the St. Jacobs were brought on line. Then the town had a second lease on life when gold was discovered in 1896. That discovery brought a new influx of miners and the opening of a new mine, the Bachelor Mine, just below the older operations. Although some of the other mines closed, mining continued at the Bachelor Mine until the cost of shipping the ore made the mining unprofitable in 1915.

Although the claims and mines around Carson were small and probably produced less than a million dollars in gold and silver, what makes the mining camp remarkable is that over a century later, many of the buildings are still standing (even if somewhat worse for the wear). Over a dozen, including a hospital, general store, and mine office, are preserved and some of the mining equipment still litters the fields. The best-preserved ones are at the Bachelor Mine, which is below the older claims. And, the Forest Service has put metal roofs on some of the structures to protect them from collapsing under heavy snows in the winter.

The picture it gives of mining life is a little less luxurious than what we see in towns like Tombstone and Virginia City. Dirt floors were common, especially in the older part of the town and the rooms miners lived in wouldn’t even serve for a walk in closet today. Saloons didn’t have large mirrors or brass rails, but were just a couple of barrels with a plank laid over them. Some of the buildings at the older site are just crude dugouts with heavy timber logs for walls and roofing. However, it gives a real idea of what many miners experienced in the many mining camps that dotted the West in the late 19th Century.

If you want to see this mining camp, it’s south of Lake City, Colorado, and just south of Lake San Cristobal. Look for the Wager Gulch trail marked by a Forest Service sign. And be sure to drive a four wheel drive vehicle with good road clearance as this road hasn’t had much work done on it since it handled ore wagons 100 years ago.