The Legendary Mines of Cripple Creek Colorado, Poverty Gulch
Вставка
- Опубліковано 18 січ 2023
- Cripple Creek was known as the World’s Greatest Gold Camp in the late 1800’s, preceding the Yukon Gold Rush in Alaska by six years. And Bob Womack’s discovery in Poverty Gulch is where it all began. Today I’ll show you three historic mines and a number of historic structures rescued from the modern day Cripple Creek and Victor Gold Mine site.
There are 500 mines between Cripple Creek and nearby Victor, so stay tuned for more videos on this area in the future.
This video is copyrighted and cannot be used without my permission.
El Paso Gold King Mine
In October of 1890, prospector Bob Womack, who had explored this area for gold for about 15 years excavated a 48 foot deep shaft, until he struck a rich vein of gold-bearing ore. Soon after, many other prospectors made discoveries in the same vicinity that developed into many prosperous mines. The Gold King Mine was the first in the district, and by 1893 the Cripple Creek District became the site of one of America's greatest gold rushes. Other mines soon eclipsed the production of Womack’s discovery mine. Womack foolishly sold his claim for $500 and a case of whiskey. He died penniless in 1909.
The Gold King operated nearly continuously from 1890 to 1928, when the company closed and removed the original head frame. In 1936 the company refurbished the mine and operated until 1954. It was primarily a tourist attraction for the last four years.
Mollie Kathleen Mine
Discovered in 1891, the Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine was the first claim to be struck by a woman in the Cripple Creek and Victor gold camp - a true rarity in those days. Named for its discoverer, the mine produced gold for decades, until a lack of ore processing methods in the region made mining too difficult. The main shaft descends 1,000 feet into the mountain, a depth roughly equal to the height of the Empire State Building in New York City.
Other than a government-ordered hiatus during World War II, the mine operated continuously until 1961; since then it has continued as a tourist attraction. This mine currently gives tours, and is visited by around 40,000 people annually.
C.O.D. Mine
The C.O.D. Mine claim was filed in December of 1891 by Charles Tutt. Encouraged by Tutt, Spencer Penrose an old boyhood friend arrived in Colorado one year later. Penrose became excited about the prospect of Tutt’s claim being directly across from Bob Womack’s Gold King. He wired his brother Boies requesting a $10,000 loan to invest in Tutt’s mine. This is the telegram he receive in reply…”Take the $150 I am sending you and purchase a ticket for the next train home and forget this foolishness about mining for gold in Colorado”. Penrose tore up the telegram and instead invested the $150 in the C.O.D. Mine. Penrose and Tutt went on to make a fortune. Years later Penrose gave his brother $10,000 as a return on his $150 investment.
Penrose and Tutt leased the mine to the neighboring Rebecca Mining Company and went on to become a real estate firm at Broken Box Ranch, which would later become Cripple Creek. From there they went on to make a fortune in milling ore for the local mines.
The C.O.D.’s mine shaft is 800 feet deep, ten levels are turned, and the total developments consist of about 4,000 feet of drifts, extending chiefly northward; level 8 attaining a distance of 600 feet from the shaft. The total production between 1891 and 1902 was $594.000, based on the price of gold at that time.
This video is copyrighted and cannot be used without my permission.
#abandoned #abandonedplaces #abandonedmine #abandonedmines #colorado #cripplecreek - Розваги
Am researching an historical novel on the 1903-04 Labor Wars and I find all these videos enormously helpful. Particularly because I don't have the courage to plunge 1000 feet down into the Mollie Kathleen Mine! Thanks so much.
During those Labor Wars somebody rigged the cables of the elevator at the Independence Mine. Killed quite a few men. I'll make a video on the Mollie Kathleen one of these days. Thanks for watching.
I like going to Cripple Creek & Victor a few times of the year to explore. Lots of interesting places there.
Cripple Creek has gotten a little overgrown, but it has gambling. Victor is a more interesting town to me, but both are great.
@@Mine-Finder yes, Victor said NO to gambling, so it’s been left alone.
It is amazing how much equipment they got up to those places in such a short time and in such remote locations. It didn't help that the winters are 7 to 8 months long.
Some of the mines I've been to are literally on the sides of cliffs. People with gold fever will do anything to make it happen. Thanks for watching.
Nothing like sitting in a piece of heavy equipment painted yellow to bring out the inner child's joy.
Its like a big Tonka toy. I only wish is started.
Every time I watch these videos I hate all the history that large mine has destroyed and how it’s destroyed the mountain
They did destroy a lot of mines, but fortunately they moved a lot of the original structures. Still sad.
Mining is a fact of the age we live in, or live like a caveman without life’s convenient’s.