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Category Archives: Gold mining gear
Cement mining and the development of hydraulic mining
Many, if not most, of the mining improvements in the early years of the gold rush originated at or near Nevada City. The long tom and the sluice were first used there as well as the mining ditch. The stamp … Continue reading
Posted in Gold discoveries, Gold mining gear
Tagged California gold rush, gold rush, Grass Valley, Nevada City, Yuba River
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The great variety in mining gear
Because of the vast scope of the gold country and the wide variety of conditions in which gold would be found, there could be no standard methods or equipment for mining. What worked in Mokelumne Hill might not work in … Continue reading
Posted in Gold mining gear, The gold rush is on
Tagged California gold rush, gold rush, Sacramento, San Francisco
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Modern mining with a long tom or sluice
Placer mining hasn’t changed that much since the time of the 49ers. Sure, you drive close to some of the many good spots to look for placer gold but you will still have to walk into the river and carry … Continue reading
Posted in Gold discoveries, Gold mining gear, Modern gold mining
Tagged dry digging, gold minig, gold rush, John Putnam, long tom, placer mining, Sluice, wet digging
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Gold mining gear, long toms and sluices
As mining operations became more complex, the long tom and the sluice came into widespread use. The long tom was a shallow trough 15 feet long and 15 inches high and often increasing in width near the low end and … Continue reading
Posted in Gold discoveries, Gold mining gear, The gold rush is on
Tagged California gold rush, gold rush, long tom, Sluice
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Gold mining gear, the rocker
Panning gold was slow work and very early in 1848 Isaac Humphrey, a miner who’d been at the gold finds in the mountains of Georgia in the 1830’s, introduced a new device that sped things up a great deal. Called … Continue reading
Posted in Gold discoveries, Gold mining gear, The gold rush is on
Tagged California gold rush, cradle, gold rush, rocker
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The basic gear for a gold miner
The early gold miner who traveled by foot required little more than a single suit of clothes consisting of a wool shirt, thick pants, heavy boots and a slouch hat. He carried a pistol, a knife, and a roll of … Continue reading
