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HistoryMine: Mining History Technologies and Resources
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 Hydraulic Mining: Not Your Everyday Pressure WasherThursday, April 18, 2013Even though it has been around for quite some time, hydraulic mining is still being used to move sediment or dislodge materials. The origins of this technique have been dated as far back as Ancient Rome. read more » History Lessons: The PickaxeMonday, April 15, 2013Probably the most iconic mining tool, the pickaxe, has been used as far back as the prehistoric times. Although not always used for mining as some people have perceived it to be, the “pick” was also used as an agricultural tool and even a weapon in medieval times. read more » Idaho gold mining with a green twistMonday, September 17, 2012Gold miners near Placerville were finishing hauling to their mill nearly 200,000 tons of ore and waste rock that had been left when the Boise Basin's first wave of mining ended in 1938. read more » The Bone WarsFriday, September 14, 2012In the late 1800s, a flurry of fossil speculation across the American West escalated into a high-profile national feud called the Bone Wars. read more » History of Nevada miningThursday, September 06, 2012The Comstock Lode was discovered in 1857 when two prospectors sank a small pit to collect water for their rocker and accidentally hit the lode. read more » New Temporary Exhibit at Britannia Mine MuseumMonday, April 16, 2012There is a new exhibit that opened today at the Britannia Mine Museum, located just north of Vancouver, Canada. The exhibit which runs until June 15 showcases amazing close-up images of minerals. read more » Roy L. Soderberg and his Contribution to Mine TailingsThursday, April 12, 2012Abstracts for the Tailings and Mine Waste Conference 2012 to be held in Keystone, Colorado October 14-17, 2012 are due the end of this week. Here is one idea that should be written up, but probably won’t. read more » The History of Tailings Filter-Pressing from SME’s One MineMonday, April 09, 2012You will need to access the SME One Mine Library to get the earliest papers on filter pressing of tailings. Here are interesting points from some read more » The Past & Future of Tailings DisposalTuesday, March 13, 2012Mike Gowan of Golder Associates in Australia has enabled me to post at this link a PowerPoint presentation of a talk he gave earlier this month in South Africa. read more » Bomvu Ridge and Groundwater Modelling in MiningFriday, March 09, 2012This is a story of a time before computers; before groundwater conceptual models, numerical models, baseline models, and predictive models; before groundwater model calibration, verification, or sensitivity analysis. read more » Mine Safety: Historic Admissions From Greens CreekFriday, February 03, 2012In the past, we have all done silly things at mines that constitute safety violations. Here I record a drilling program I worked on in 1981 and 1982 at the then-proposed Greens Creek mine in Alaska. read more » Oil Sands and Other Tailings TrafficabilityTuesday, January 31, 2012I came across a short hand-written piece that I penned in 1982. This piece is interesting in light of the muddle made by the Alberta ERCB in demanding an oil sand tailings strength of 10 kPa read more » Shedding Positive Light on Mining in BrazilMonday, January 23, 2012Seldom on a Sunday is there a good book about mining to read. Today I hit the jackpot. I read Understanding Mining Around the Quadrilatero Ferrifero. read more » Historical overview of traditional and modern gold mining in GhanaWednesday, December 07, 2011Good paper on pre-colonial methods of mining in the gold rich west African country of Ghana. read more » The Exploration Geologist - Yesterday, Today and TomorrowTuesday, December 06, 2011... he learned a lot about the use of small boats to map up rivers, and how to work with horses and elephants. Also the importance of the regular supply of opium from China, to avoid the miners going on strike. Not a lot of science perhaps, but useful knowledge and experience. read more » British Columbia Historical Newspapers OnlineTuesday, November 29, 2011For the first time ALL these historical newspapers online documenting the succesive gold & silver rushes that spread like wildfire through the rugged mountains and deep valleys of the new Canadian province. read more » If it can't be grown, it must be mined - Arizona Mining AssociationTuesday, November 01, 2011A beautiful history of mining in Arizona - from Apaches to the lonely prospector and his burro and to modern copper mines. read more » History of American Railroads and MappingWednesday, October 19, 2011Surveying and mapping activities flourished in the United States as people began moving inland over the inadequately mapped continent. The settlement of the frontier, the development of agriculture, and the exploitation of natural resources generated a demand for new ways to move people and goods from one place to another. read more » The Gold Mines Built YellowknifeTuesday, October 11, 2011Yellowknife was founded as a gold mining camp in 1937 and has risen to become a great capital city, looking to the bright future and reflecting on its glorious past. read more » Niven William - Mineralogist and archeologistMonday, September 12, 2011William Niven, mineralogist and archeologist, son of William and Sarah (Brown) Niven, was born in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, Scotland, on October 6, 1850. He came to the United States in 1879 and worked as a mineralogist. read more » Tailings and Mine Waste 1994 and the Boldness of Those TimesMonday, July 11, 2011Today, July 11 is the deadline for submission of papers to the Tailings and Mine Waste 2011 conference. In preparation of one of my papers, I read through the proceedings of the 1994 conference. I am amazed at how bold the folk were in those days read more » The U.S. Geological Survey Photographic LibraryWednesday, April 27, 2011Free viewing and downloading of the entire USGS photographic collection. read more » The Treadwell Gold Mines of Alaska,Tuesday, April 26, 2011John Treadwell, famed founder of the Treadwell Gold Mines, was a California carpenter with 12 years' experience in placer and lode mining in California and Nevada before he landed in Alaska in 1881. read more » Steffen, Robertson, and Kirsten - The SRK of MiningTuesday, April 26, 2011SRK has a new logo. Andy Robertson proudly explained that the two lines represented two soil or rock strata read more » Gold production, resources and total inventories in British Columbia (1858-1998)Tuesday, February 22, 2011140 years of gold mining data for British Columbia, Canada. Plus 2010 exploration and mining data. read more » History of Explosives and Blasting Wednesday, February 09, 2011In the US and Canada alone, blasters use more than 6 billion pounds of explosives and 75 million detonators per year. Coal mining accounts for two-thirds of consumed explosives of which more than 80% of it is ANFO. read more » A History of Coal in EuropeThursday, February 03, 2011The Timber Crisis; The Fuel of Last Resort; Medieval Coal and Coal Mining; The Prejudice against Coal; Renaissance Coal Mines; Coke; Wagon ways, Steam Engines, Canal Building and Coal ...
read more » Sustainable Reclamation of Post-Mining CartagenaMonday, November 01, 2010Here is a link to the most fascinating presentation at the Tailings and Mine Waste 2010. It deals with reclamation planning in an area of Spain where mining continued for 2,500 years. read more » 10 Major American Mining DisastersFriday, September 10, 2010Since the beginning of the 20th century, thousands of Americans have been killed in mining accidents. Here are 10 major mining disasters that occurred in the states. read more » Athenian Silver Mines at LaurionMonday, August 23, 2010It seems the ancient Greeks got most of the money to support their poetry, philosophy, development of “democracy,” and sundry other habits from mining. read more » Mines along the old Route 66 - Photo galleryMonday, August 16, 2010Route 66 is a wonderful historic stretch of road. The section with the illustrious Gold Road mine is the longest stretch of Route 66 still in use today. read more » Canadian Mining Events from 1604 to 1943Thursday, August 12, 2010... and Historical Tables of the Mineral production of Canada read more » Pre-mechanized longwall mining of coalTuesday, August 03, 2010Miners were able to remove almost all the coal from a section, either by leaving small remnant pillars or building packs to hold the roof in place, while that coal was removed. By retreating the face back towards the shafts, the overlying roof rock was then allowed to collapse into the void left by the coal removal. read more » Julius Benjamin KruttschnittTuesday, July 27, 2010Julius Kruttschnitt was an internationally renowned American mining executive who spent half his life in Queensland, Australia working at Mount Isa Mines. He had a great impact on the Australian mining industry. read more » Get gold, humanely if you can, but at all hazards get gold!Tuesday, July 20, 2010
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York - The Key to the Gold Vault read more » Tsumeb Mine: A history of copper mining in NamibiaFriday, July 16, 2010The first written report of copper being seen in the Tsumeb area was made in 1857 when the Rhenish Missionaries H. Hahn and J. Rath in the company of hunter-trader F. Green made an expedition to the north with the objective of meeting with Ovambo chiefs. On June 17 they camped East of Grootfontein at the foot of the Otjitjika Mountain where they met Ovambo traders carrying neatly woven palm-leaf baskets that contained copper ore from the Otavi Mountains. read more » Closure of Remote Historic Underground Mines in Desert EnvironmentsMonday, July 05, 2010Geotechnical solutions were developed for closure of two historic underground borate mines in the deserts of California: the old Borate Mine located in the Mojave Desert and the Lila C. Mine near Death Valley. read more » Reed Gold MineMonday, May 31, 2010One Sunday — supposedly in the spring — twelve-year-old Conrad Reed, son of John, chose to go fishing with several siblings in Little Meadow Creek on the family farm rather that attend church with his parents. While busy alongside the creek he saw "a yellow substance shining in the water." Its weight was later said to be approximately seventeen pounds. John Reed, unable to identify it, set the heavy stone aside as a useful doorstop and continued life as usual. read more » A.P.Coleman - Professor and GeologistThursday, October 22, 2009Canadian geologist, professor, minerals prospector, artist, Rockies explorer, backwoods canoeist, world traveller, scientist, popular lecturer, museum administrator, memoirist. Coleman was one of Canada’s most beloved scientists. "Geology was at once his vocation, his avocation and his recreation." (J.B. Tyrrell) There was always another mountain to climb; rock, clay and glacial till to examine. read more » Exhibition Coal Mine Shows Work and Life of a MinerWednesday, August 26, 2009Anybody interested in expanding the use of "clean coal" as an energy source and all visitors to Beckley, West Virgina should make it a point to stop and visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia. read more » The gold metallurgy of Isaac NewtonMonday, August 03, 2009The science of metals had always appealed to Isaac Newton and when, after the conclusion of his remarkable contributions to mathematics and physics, he was invited to take charge of the Royal Mint in London he was able not only to display his great gifts as an administrator but also to exercise his interest in metals and alloys and particularly in the metallurgy of gold. read more » Gold metallurgy in the Twelfth CenturyMonday, August 03, 2009The simple basic properties of gold – its colour, great malleability and ductility, and its immunity from oxidation even on melting – were well known in the ancient civilizations. In prehistoric times, in Egypt, Babylon and other lands of the Near East, the fabrication of gold articles was equally well understood, as the many brief references throughout the Old Testament establish. read more » California Gold Rush Thursday, July 23, 2009I. The Great Discovery - II. By Sea to the Golden Land - III. Ho for California! The Overland Trek IV. Via the Isthmus - V. Gold Mania Satirized - VI. The Miners' Ten Commandments VII.The World Rushed In: Part I, Part II - VIII. An Instant City: Sacramento - IX.The Northern Mines X. Scenes in the Life of the California Miner - XI. Making a Pile - XII. Mining Companies read more » History of Mineral Exploration in CanadaThursday, July 16, 2009Canada has a long and exciting history of mineral exploration and mining. Now a new book has been published that tells the successes of the industry since World War II. read more » Comstock LodeFriday, July 03, 2009Nevada’s Comstock lode, America’s first great silver-mining district, was mired in fraud and corruption for the first half-century of its existence. read more » Geology arrives in Nye County Monday, June 15, 2009When, in 1879, the U.S. Geological Survey was organized, Clarence King, leader of one of the Great Surveys, was chosen as its first director. One of King's first acts was to telegraph Samuel F. Emmons, who had been one of King's principal assistants on his big survey. Emmons was both a "cowboy," able to "ride, rope, and brand with the best of them," and a geologist. read more » Electronic Journal on California Gold Rush and Gold MiningThursday, May 14, 2009The Sierra College Press has published an electronic journal on the California Gold Rush and Gold Mining. This eJournal is the latest edition of Snowy Range Reflections: A Journal of Sierra Nevada History and Biography. read more » The First Synthetic DiamondTuesday, May 05, 2009Back in the 1950s the scientists from General Electric were not the only ones trying to make diamonds. read more » Racialism in MiningThursday, April 23, 2009Personal reflections on racialism in the mines of South Africa. read more » History of Asbestos Mining in VermontFriday, March 06, 2009Asbestos is categorized as a group of fibrous metamorphic minerals of hydrous magnesium silicate variety. Asbestos was first mined in Vermont in 1899 on Belvidere Mountain. read more » Justinian’s Gold MinesWednesday, December 03, 2008During his reign the emperor Justinian has spent over 314 tonnes of gold. Where all this gold came from? Where are the mines that were able to produce that much gold? read more » Climax Molybdenum MineWednesday, November 12, 2008Kenwyn George was provided a tour of the tailings impoundments, water handling facilities and water treatment by Tavis D. Rogers, P.E., Senior engineer, of Climax Molybdenum on October 23, 2008. read more » The Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) ProjectWednesday, October 29, 2008Here is the best summary of UMTRA I have come across: The Uranium Mill Tailings Radiation Control Act of 1978 gave the U.S. Department of Energy the responsibility of stabilizing, disposing, and controlling uranium mill tailings read more » San Nicolas ArchaeologyMonday, October 06, 2008It is necessary to clear a prospective mine site for archaeological evidence before disturbing the earth. This short article is a brief review of a new book that brings insight and perspective to pre-history and its relevance to mining. read more » California Mining History and Social ProgressFriday, October 03, 2008The history of early mining camps in California provides insight into the development of the rule of law. read more » Herbert Hoover and the Principles of MiningMonday, September 29, 2008Herbert Hoover was both a mining engineer and a president of the United States. His book Principles of Mining provides fascinating insight into old ways of mining and investing. read more » SRK and 30 years of North American mine consultingFriday, September 26, 2008SKR celebrates thirty years of successful consulting to the mining industry in North America. read more » Inca Mining HistoryWednesday, August 20, 20082000 years ago the Inca were mining hematite. This fascinating bit of early mining history comes by way of a report from MSNBC. Here are some abstracts from their report read more » Bidim and Richards BayThursday, July 31, 2008I cannot find it on Google Earth. It stuck one kilometer out into the bay and was one kilometer wide, so it should still be visible. I refer to a phosphogypsum tailings impoundment I designed for Louis Luyt at Richards Bay in South Africa in the late 1970s. read more » Connelly on Mine GroundwaterTuesday, July 29, 2008In the old days when SRK still went by its original name, Steffen Robertson and Kirsten, Dick Connelly and I were given the task of pounding the pavements to develop a groundwater practice in South Africa. read more » East GeduldTuesday, July 22, 2008At first there were one hundred houses. The number of your house pretty much reflected your rank on the mine in East Geduld, Transvaal, South Africa where I grew up. read more » Pincock Allen & HoltThursday, July 17, 2008I first met Kay Pincock, who founded the still venerable consulting company Pincock Allen & Holt, when he picked me up to take me to a restaurant on the east side of Tucson. read more » Gilt Edge Mine Superfund SiteThursday, June 12, 2008The proceedings of Tailings & Mine Waste ’03 contains papers on the Gilt Edge Mine. There is an abstract on the water balance of the site proposed for the ’08 conference. read more » Eagle and High Peak Mine, CaliforniaMonday, April 28, 2008If you're up in the mountain town of Julian, CA (located about 60 miles northeast of San Diego), the Eagle and High Peak Mine is a must-visit. read more » The Comstock LodeTuesday, April 22, 2008Gold and silver strikes made millionaires and paupers, settled new cities, and civilized many parts of the West. But no other strike had more influence than the Comstock Lode read more » The Hope DiamondFriday, February 29, 2008Louis XIV, of France bought the gem later known as the "Hope Diamond," in 1668, from a French Trader named, Jean-Baptiste Tavernier. read more » SCHOTT Lighting Used at Bisbee Mining MuseumTuesday, February 12, 2008SCHOTT’s fiber optic products are helping illuminate the award winning Digging In exhibition at the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum in Bisbee, Arizona. read more » The Town That Joe BuiltFriday, February 01, 2008Nestled away in the rolling hills of the Franklin County area of southern Illinois lies the forgotten town that in 1904, was only a breath away from being the nations capital. read more » The History of Rock DrillingTuesday, December 18, 2007Although the method Agricola described for breaking rock might be regarded as the most primitive imaginable, the origins of metal mining in fact go back much further. read more » My Darling Clementine: Monongah Mining DisasterThursday, December 06, 2007The worst mining disaster in American History occurred in the community of Monongah, West Virginia on December 6, 1907. read more » Unconventional CrudeWednesday, November 07, 2007The 12 November 2007 issue of the New Yorker includes an article called Unconventional Crude by Elizabeth Kolbert. read more » Ghost TownsWednesday, October 31, 2007Here are extracts from an excellent blog article called Ghost Town. I repeat only the few paragraphs that deal with towns that reverted to the ghosts as a result of mine closure. read more » Coal CityThursday, September 27, 2007If you go to Google.earth and zoom to Coal City, Indiana, you will see the town in question: a small community clustered around a north-south road, and surrounded by fields and reclaimed spoil piles. read more » Underground Transport on Inclined RoadsMonday, September 10, 2007Until the mid 20th century, pit ponies were one of the primary ways man and material was transported from underground coal mines. read more » Archaeology and Mines: The Southern California BightFriday, August 10, 2007On a clear day, Catalina Island stretches across the horizon twenty-five miles off the Huntington Beach coast. Many times I have walked the dog along the beach and gazed out at the far island. read more » Jacksonville, OregonFriday, July 20, 2007There are, or at some time in the past have been, at least 270 mines in Jackson County, Oregon (Mindat). In the Jacksonville District there are the Grace Diggings, Jacksonville Placer read more » History of MetallurgyFriday, July 13, 2007A History of Metallurgy (1994) is edited by Fathi Habashi of the Department of Mining & Metallurgy, Laval University, Quebec City. It is a collection of articles from a multi-volume work. read more » Darya-i-NurThursday, May 31, 2007Considered to be the most celebrated diamond in the Iranian Crown Jewels and one of the oldest known to man, the 186-carat Darya-i-Nur is a crudely fashioned stone measuring 41.40 x 29.50 x 12.15mm. read more » Southern African Mining HistoryWednesday, May 09, 2007The 27 January 2007 issue of New Scientist reports that in 1795 in County Wicklow in Ireland, a local teacher found gold in the local river. For six glorious weeks the locals panned for gold, recovering 80 kilograms. Then the usual happened read more » Labradorite, Aurora Borealis Entombed in StoneMonday, April 23, 2007The name Labradorite comes from the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, which is a famous locality for the stone. The mineral was discovered by Moravian missionaries at Ford Harbour read more » History of AmethystMonday, March 12, 2007The name "amethyst" comes from the Greek meaning "not drunken," and Amethyst has long been considered to be a strong antidote against drunkenness. read more » Stone to NuclearWednesday, February 28, 2007Bomvu Ridge 40,000 years ago may have been the first large-scale underground mine anywhere. Australia well populated 60,000 years ago? read more » Mine Sand PilesThursday, February 22, 2007My father regularly drove us out to those piles of golden sand, so soft and warm in the summer sun. And here we would spend happy hours climbing up the sand and sliding down, and climbing up and sliding down read more » The Klondike RainmakerWednesday, February 14, 2007Historically, most of the gold recovered in the Yukon and Alaska was recovered by placer mining, which involves the separation of loose particles of gold from the surrounding sand or gravel read more » Mining and the Twelve Days of ChristmasThursday, December 28, 2006A blog-like review of the 2006 mining industry, mining technology, and the twelve days of christmas, and prospects for mining in 2007. read more » Mine-ExplorerMonday, December 18, 2006Three examples of what make the British unique (I emphasize, that to the best of my knowledge I have no British ancestors going back at least three generations.) read more » Tiger's-Eye, Yesterday's DiamondTuesday, November 21, 2006In London in the mid-1870s, 25 shillings-about $85 in today's terms-went a long way. You could buy 7 grams of gold, 40 liters of rum, or about a half kilogram of opium. read more » A Life Underground in the Cornish Tin MinesWednesday, November 15, 2006Any job working below the earth's surface is potentially hazardous and tin mining in the southwest of England was no different. In the 18th and 19th centuries, it was commonplace for children to be employed at the tin mines. read more » Mining LampsFriday, November 10, 2006Here we show you a miner's oil lamp made from sturdy cast iron, which comes from the 1800's from Peru. Whale oil, a wick and a strong wrist was all that was required to bring light to the working face. read more » The First Synthetic DiamondWednesday, November 1, 2006Back in the 1950s the scientists from General Electric were not the only ones trying to make diamonds. Unknown to them, in a magnificent old hunting palace on the outskirts of Stockholm read more » George RappelyeaTuesday, October 31, 2006One mining engineer I would love to have met and about whom I would love to know more is George Rappelyea. read more » The Cullinan DiamondFriday, October 20, 2006At first, the mine superintendent thought he was the brunt of a practical joke. While making a routine check of the premises at the end of the day, Frederick Wells caught the reflection of the setting sun glimmering off the wall of the mine shaft. read more » Letseng-la-Terae: The 603 Carat Lesotho Promise DiamondFriday, October 13, 2006Letseng is a mine best described by superlatives. At 3,100 m altitude it is the world's highest diamond mine; at just over 2 carats per 100 tones (cpht) it is the world’s lowest grade kimberlite mine; at over $1,200 a carat it has the world's highest average cost per carat... read more » The Legend of Saint Barbara, Patron Saint of MinesMonday, October 2, 2006Barbara lived in the 3rd Century AD in Nicromedia, the capital of the Roman province of Bithnia (Asia Minor). She was the only child of Dioscuros, a high ranking and wealthy man. read more » Looking Back... On Orvil JackThursday, September 14, 2006Have you ever seen Orvil Jack turquoise? It's not something that you'll forget, especially the vivid green stones that have become its trademark color. read more » ParanumismaticsFriday, September 08, 2006Paranumismatics are known by several names depending on which coalfield or even region of a coalfield they hailed from. read more » |
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U.S. Coal mine fatalities since 1970 map