History of Gold Mining and Trends in Production
Gold in the United States was first mined in the Southeastern States about 1799, but these deposits, in the mountainous areas of the United States,. though rich, were relatively small. A-fter the discov- ery of placer gold in California in 1848, the West- ern States contributed the bulk of the domestic gold production. Placer deposits offered quick and large returns with simple equipment and thus stim- ulated migration to the new gold fields. Many pros- pectors, trained in the California gold fields, spread to other parts of the new territories and many de- posits were found in rapid succession in widely separated areas. The discovery of these rich placer deposits marked the beginning of active development and settlement of the West. Exploration and mining activity boomed; gold production reached 2 million ounces in 1850 and 3 million ounces in 1853. It then declined steadily and in 1862 again dropped below the 2-million-ounce level. Placers were the chief source of our domestic output until 1873 (Loughlin and others, 1930, fig. 3), when their output was exceeded by that of lode mines, a relation that has continued through 1965. Placer activity remained at a relatively low ebb during the 1880’s and early 1890’s, but there were three periods in later years when placer production, though exceeded by lode production, formed a significant proportion of the domestic output – in 1896 when large dredges were introduced in California, in 1904 when large deposits of rich gravels were discovered in Alaska, and in 1934 when the price of gold was increased to $35 an ounce.
In many districts the prospectors followed gold-bearing gravel to the source of the gold in veins,
came important producers, that lode mines became significant sources of gold. Lode production in- creased rapidly after the discovery of gold in the Cripple Creek district, Colorado, in 1892. By 1898,
mmmg activity boomed; gold production reached
2 million ounces in 1850 and 3 million ounces in
1853. It then declined steadily and in 1862 again
dropped below the 2-million-ounce level. Placers California and the Comstock Lode in Nevada be-
were the chief source of our domestic output until
1873 (Loughlin and others, 1930, fig. 3), when their
output was exceeded by that of lode mines, a rela-
tion that has continued through 1965. Placer activ-
ity remained at a relatively low ebb during the production from this district together with the in-
1880’s and early 1890’s, but there were three periods in later years when placer production, though ex- ceeded by lode production, formed a significant pro- portion of the domestic output-in 1896 when large dredges were introduced in California, in 1904 when large deposits of rich gravels were discovered in Alaska, and in 1934 when the price of gold was increased to $35 an ounce.
In many districts the prospectors followed gold- bearing gravel to the source of the gold in veins, and lode mining began shortly after placer mining. It was not, however, until about the middle 1860’s, when the Mother Lode and Grass Valley loes in
1853. It then declined steadily and in 1862 again
dropped below the 2-million-ounce level. Placers California and the Comstock Lode in Nevada be-
were the chief source of our domestic output until
1873 (Loughlin and others, 1930, fig. 3), when their
output was exceeded by that of lode mines, a rela-
tion that has continued through 1965. Placer activ-
ity remained at a relatively low ebb during the production from this district together with the in-
1880’s and early 1890’s, but there were three periods in later years when placer production, though ex- ceeded by lode production, formed a significant pro- portion of the domestic output-in 1896 when large dredges were introduced in California, in 1904 when large deposits of rich gravels were discovered in Alaska, and in 1934 when the price of gold was increased to $35 an ounce.
In many districts the prospectors followed gold- bearing gravel to the source of the gold in veins, and lode mining began shortly after placer mining.