Page 2 of my February 2022 exploration of this mining operation. Descending the top of the ridge, I passed through an unusual area:

At the base of a steep open cut, I came onto a flat spot atop what looked like a large old mine tailings pile.

Near the middle was a square hole, approx 4' x 4' x 5' deep.

A rock wall was built into a bank.

Another wall was alongside the square hole.

Other curved walls formed small terraces.

One of the curved walls. There was a torn-down wood shack nearby.   I think someone had been living/camping here and doing a little amateur mining in the tailings piles.

One again back down at the bottom of the steep ridge... It's hard to make out in the photo, but this is the base of a chute that was cut into the steep hillside to send ore down from the upper mine-cuts.

Entrance to Tunnel 4.

Just beyond the mouth of the tunnel, this passage is also fenced. I probably could have slipped through on the right side, but I could see that this tunnel wasn't very long.

Interior of Tunnel 4

The tunnel ends at the small chamber beyond the wood. A bit over 100 feet long...

There is a small collection of mining equipment at the base of the ridge along the river:

Mining cart

Steam Boiler

Boiler - end view Kewanee Boiler Corp., Scottie Junior

Vertical Steam Engine

Steam Engine - manufacturer's ID

1922 advertisement for the Clarage Steam Engines.

Dynamite storage box. No doubt painted when the tourist gem panning firm was in operation...

I haven't figured out yet what this piece of equipment is....

The upper cylindrical part looks like an ore separator.

This lower section might be for froth flotation extraction. Or perhaps an odd form of gravity concentrator. I just haven't found anything that looks like it...

End view

Gears, rollers & chain on the machine...

In the early '90s, a tourist gem panning operation, "The Gold Mines of Helen", operated along the river at the base of the mined ridge.

Sluice troughs where the customers panned their seeded buckets of dirt..

Next to the panning shack was a water-wheel that powered a stamp mill reproduction.   These stones lined the water course.

Footing of the stamp mill reproduction.

Footing and part of wood support for the water-wheel.

Click here to see an old video of the tourist gem panning operation.

All Text & Images: Copyright 2022.