The earliest period of activity in this area was from 1862 to 1870.

The San Antonio Mine (and nearby Cimarron Mine) was operated from 1937 to 1940. During that time it produced a verified shipment of over nine tons, containing 13.3 ounces of gold and 47.2 ounces of silver.

In 1950 the claims were leased by Chicago interests but no significant production occurred. In the early 1970s the claim was owned by two women, and some small-scale mining was still taking place. Since then the only activity has been a series of exploratory drilling programs.

There are some unusual aspects to this mine. For one thing, it’s extremely compact. The hoist house sits right on the edge of the mine shaft, and the building also houses the blacksmith’s shop and some kind of small mill. The mine shaft is completely filled in. Inside the hoist house, in the place where the hoist should have been, there is no floor or foundation for the hoist. The remaining mill equipment includes a shaker table set into a trench in the floor.

VIDEO:

https://youtu.be/Ceqo5exRVx8

Posted September 2018.

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