KELLOG AND WALLACE, IDAHO - AUGUST 2019
CRYSTAL GOLD MINE - KELLOG
There's Gold in them there Hills. California was not the only state to experience a gold rush. Idaho also experienced a Gold Rush in the 1860's. Although many miners were lured to this area by the promise of gold the primary metals mined in the valley were silver, zinc and lead. While in Kellog, we toured The Crystal Gold Mine (CGM). It is one of the hard rock mines in the Silver Valley. It was worked in the 1880's. After working the mine for some years, the miners blasted the hillside, closing and hiding access to the mine. It is thought they did this to hide the mine until they could return, as they left heavy tracks, mine cards and tools inside. But no one returned. During the building of Interstate 90 in the 1960's, a mine portal was exposed. The current owners didn't investigate the portal, they just boarded it up. In 1996, the new owner, a retired miner tore down the boards and discovered the rest of the mine. Eventually he renovated it as a tourist attraction.
Our tour guide explained that in the 1880's, the miners did all their mining using candlelight. To view more strata, the miners would drill a hole place a stick of dynamite and blast. After blasting miners could find gold was found in the strata of quartz. If copper was present in quartz, there was sure to be gold.
Today inside the mine there are multi colored minerals that combine with water to produce various colors. Cooper = Green, Iron = Orange, Maganese = purple and blue is created by a combination of various miners above. Yellow is NOT GOLD - it is pyrite "Fools Gold".
We stayed at the RV park here, which was perfect to explore the mine and pan for minerals and gold for ourselves.
WALLACE - THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
A manhole at the intersection of Bank & 6th in Wallace Idaho apparently marks the Center of The Universe (C of U). Wallace seems like an unlikely place to be the C of U. How was this determined? Apparently 4 friends while at a local bar and over a few drinks to many (I think) came to this conclusion. (Interesting to note that a town with a population of 800 has over 10 drinking establishments) The friends logic relies on the theory of probability, if you can't prove that Wallace isn't the C of U - then if must be. The probability theory was NOT something they came up with on their own. Mining was the primary industry for years in Wallace. There was lead poisoning discovered in the water and soil. The EPA announced that the lead contamination was "probably" caused by mining and they placed the town on the Super Fund Site list for clean up. However, the EPA also admitted that they couldn't prove whether the lead contamination was due to mining or a naturally occurring event.......PROBABILITY THEORY!!!!! In 2004 the Mayor of Wallace proclaimed Wallace to be the Center of the Universe.
Now we don't have to wait for a spaceship to visit the C of U. Who knew you could drive there?
There's Gold in them there Hills. California was not the only state to experience a gold rush. Idaho also experienced a Gold Rush in the 1860's. Although many miners were lured to this area by the promise of gold the primary metals mined in the valley were silver, zinc and lead. While in Kellog, we toured The Crystal Gold Mine (CGM). It is one of the hard rock mines in the Silver Valley. It was worked in the 1880's. After working the mine for some years, the miners blasted the hillside, closing and hiding access to the mine. It is thought they did this to hide the mine until they could return, as they left heavy tracks, mine cards and tools inside. But no one returned. During the building of Interstate 90 in the 1960's, a mine portal was exposed. The current owners didn't investigate the portal, they just boarded it up. In 1996, the new owner, a retired miner tore down the boards and discovered the rest of the mine. Eventually he renovated it as a tourist attraction.
Our tour guide explained that in the 1880's, the miners did all their mining using candlelight. To view more strata, the miners would drill a hole place a stick of dynamite and blast. After blasting miners could find gold was found in the strata of quartz. If copper was present in quartz, there was sure to be gold.
Today inside the mine there are multi colored minerals that combine with water to produce various colors. Cooper = Green, Iron = Orange, Maganese = purple and blue is created by a combination of various miners above. Yellow is NOT GOLD - it is pyrite "Fools Gold".
We stayed at the RV park here, which was perfect to explore the mine and pan for minerals and gold for ourselves.
WALLACE - THE CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
A manhole at the intersection of Bank & 6th in Wallace Idaho apparently marks the Center of The Universe (C of U). Wallace seems like an unlikely place to be the C of U. How was this determined? Apparently 4 friends while at a local bar and over a few drinks to many (I think) came to this conclusion. (Interesting to note that a town with a population of 800 has over 10 drinking establishments) The friends logic relies on the theory of probability, if you can't prove that Wallace isn't the C of U - then if must be. The probability theory was NOT something they came up with on their own. Mining was the primary industry for years in Wallace. There was lead poisoning discovered in the water and soil. The EPA announced that the lead contamination was "probably" caused by mining and they placed the town on the Super Fund Site list for clean up. However, the EPA also admitted that they couldn't prove whether the lead contamination was due to mining or a naturally occurring event.......PROBABILITY THEORY!!!!! In 2004 the Mayor of Wallace proclaimed Wallace to be the Center of the Universe.
Now we don't have to wait for a spaceship to visit the C of U. Who knew you could drive there?
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