Idaho Mine Tours

1992 Mining History Association
Tours of Historic Mining Towns
Tour Leaders, Merle Wells and Robert Romig Boise, Idaho
June 7 and 8, 1992

PHOTO GALLERY 1
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IDAHO CITY

(Above)The Idaho City Historical Foundation operates the Idaho City Historical Museum and has preserved many of the town’s historic buildings. A costumed reenactor portrays the Judge in the Court Room of the Boise County Court House in Idaho City.Duane Smith, a future MHA President, is at the left. (Right) Judy Dempsey poses with the Judge in the same Court Room where many mining legal cases were adjudicated.
County records contain a wealth of information about the mining history of Idaho City.	Some tools of the trade on a desk in the Court House.
Duane Smith (left) and one of the reenactors at the Pon Yam House, a Chinese Cultural Center.Compiler of the annual Mining History Journal feature, “Recent Publications in Mining History,” Lysa Wegman-French is at the right.	Stan Dempsey explores some of the historic buildings still standing from the boom days.
(Right) The MHAers observe how the early prospectors panned the stream gravel for gold. As the pan is agitated in a circular pattern, the heavier particles of gold sink to the bottom and the lighter sand and gravel stays on top and can be washed away. Panning was hard work! (Below Left and Right) A miner steps up the placer mining technology a bit by washing a load of sand and gravel containing the gold into a makeshift “long tom.” In the washing action, the gold settles to the bottom and is trapped behind riffles. After a period of time, the washing is stopped and the gold is removed during a “clean-up”.

SILVER CITY & THE NERCO DELAMAR MINE

The 1892 School House (center) and the Catholic Church of Our Lady of Tears (left), and several miners houses dot the hillside in Silver City.	MHAer Ron Limbaugh is on the steps of the historic Silver City Hotel.
(Above) Masonic Lodge Hall in Silver City. (Right) Clark Spence, first MHA President, at the Delamar Mine. In the background at the right, Mike Ostrogorsky (blue hat), one of the MHA founders, and bearded Eric Clements, future Mining History Journal Editor, can be seen.
Legend has it that the under-powered school bus had difficulty going up the mine roads and the MHAers had to get out and push.	A large rubber tired loader looms in the background as the MHAers learn about the mine from the guides.
The MHAers examine the pit face at the NERCO Mine. Secretary, Bob Spude (dark blue shirt), faces toward camera at right. The top of a drill rig can be seen on the upper bench at the left rear.	In the Mill, grinding mills pulverize the ore in preparation for recovering the gold.

Photos courtesy of Stan Dempsey

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