Outdoor Adventure USA

Our net this week will explore some of the most famous and most productive gold mines of Julian and the Cuyamacas. Many towns of the west, during the 1800s and early 1900s, can attribute their founding and growth to the discovery of gold. The Town of Julian and the greater area referred to as the Cuyamacas, are just such a place. Unlike many of these towns of the past, Julian is still vibrant and a popular area to visit. Its also a great vacation destination.

Julian is located east of San Diego and adjacent to the Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Julian's origin began during in the gold rush days of the late 1800's and remnants of these mines still exist today. Surprisingly, many of the mines and their equipment are in quite good condition and this is one of the most fascinating things about this area. Unlike many of the gold boom towns of the past, Julian survives today and the adventurous traveler can still see the evidence of the amazing efforts that men went to in an effort to "strike it rich".

This net will not only offer an interesting account of the history and origin of the mining area, but for those interested in actually seeing some of the most productive mines of the boom, we will be offering an opportunity to visit the actual mines and see, first hand, what it was like. As most probably know, our Borrego Fest event is coming up on October 9-11, 2015. We will be doing a four wheel drive run to visit some of these mines. For those interested, you may get more information on this run at: viewtopic.php?f=199&t=3916 .

For those who are interested in getting a more in depth history of the Julian and Cuyamaca gold boom, there is a great book authored by Leland Fetzer entitled, "A Good Camp". Mr Fetzer has compiled some terrific old photos and combined them with a history of the most productive mines of this area.

The book is available on Amazon and worth every penny.

Here are some pictures of the mines as they are today and, in some cases, as they were many years ago. The Black and white photos are from Fetzer's book and are used here with his permission and with the source of the photo acknowledged.

There were essentially three means to separate the gold from the surrounding rock or earth, the most productive and efficient being a stamp mill. We will discuss this and the other two methods on the net.

Original Stamp Mills

Think of stamp mills as giant rock crushers. The usual mechanism consisted of heavy cylindrical steel pistons or stamps that would cycle up and down, sometimes as much as a hundred times a minute. Ore was fed into the mill and the action of the stamps would reduce the ore into a fine powder. This powder was mixed with water and then processed to separate the gold from the mix. The success of a mining operation could be judged by the size and number of stamps that were in use. A small mining operation might have a two stamp mill. In the Julian/Cuyamaca area, the largest mine had 20 stamps.

When the mills were in operation, they were incredibly noisy and could be felt a mile away. Today only two stamp mills have survived from the 75 that once pounded ore in the nearby mills.

Here is what the stamps looked like:
The Surviving Stamp Mills

1. The five stamp mill at the Eagle mine
The five stamp mill at the Ranchita Mine

The mines of the Cuyamacas were discovered shortly after the Julian mine boom began. At some point after these mines were developed, they were organized into the Banner mining District, which was then merged into the Julian District.

Of this area, the second richest mine was the Golden Chariot, which began life in 1871 and at it's height, employed more than 50 miners. Of all the mines in the Cuyamacas, the GC had the most complex workings. Over the years the GC has changed hands several times, the most recent in the last year. The new owners have begun to return the mine to full operation, a task that is no easy matter. What survives today are the buildings and equipment that were placed there many years after it began life.

The Golden Chariot as it was in the early 1900s (from the San Diego Historical Society)
The Golden Chariot Today

Once again, in the Banner Mining District (or the Cuyamacas), one of the mines that survives in a very spectacular way is the Ranchita, the 8th richest in the area. The history of the Ranchita is straight out of a Roy Rogers TV show (look him up if the name is unfamiliar). We may discuss the history during the net, but a much better account is available in Fetzer's book.

The Ranchita as it was many years ago (from the San Diego Historical Society)
The Ranchita Today

The last mine we will post here is the Ready Relief, the third richest mine in the Banner Mining District. The mine derived its name, or so it is told, for the financial relief that it gave its first owner in 1870. The mine is located at the bottom of Chariot Canyon through which the Chariot Creek runs, creating a perfect location for the discovery of placer gold. More history on the net.

The Ready Relief as it was in the 1890s (from the San Diego Historical Society)
Here is a picture of miners at the Ready Relief Mine taken in the late 1800s. (Note the source of light - a candle)
The Ready Relief Today

Looks like a great net! I'll be monitoring.

Sign me up for one forum check-in please! KK6CTT, Rick...73

Fascinating: Some links to support the net.

Life comes to an old mind: http://www.cbs8.com/story/27344313/toni ... ke-it-rich

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2011 ... life-mine/# (there is more reading material at the end of this article)

http://www.off-road.com/trails-events/t ... 53551.html

https://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal ... jordan.pdf

For the adventurous, there are two mine tours, open to the public, in Julian:

1. The Eagle Mining Company, http://theeaglemining.com/

2. The Julian Train and Gold Mine Tour, http://www.juliantrain.com/julian-train-gold-mine-tour/

Great Net!
When I look at the photos of mining back then, it makes me think of the fictitious character Daniel Plainview In the movie "There will be Blood."
I drink your milkshake!

I do not know how one can mention Julian and not have pie in the sentence.

DennisDawg wrote:I do not know how one can mention Julian and not have pie in the sentence.

I'll make up for it next week at Borrego Fest. Maybe twice!!!