There are few things that reach from ancient times into the modern era like the legend of lost treasure. From the Dutchman’s hoard to King Solomon’s mines, the lure of finding hidden wealth continues to fuel many present-day adventurers. One such legend is that of the Lost Blue Bucket Mine in Oregon. The diverse mineralogy […]
The Smith River watershed drains the mountains in the most northwesterly corner of the state of California. Situated in Del Norte County, this region sees much less activity than most other parts of the state. Even most Californians have never been here. Gold mining in the region dates back almost as early as the original […]
When the Forest Service announced that a company had been approved for exploratory gold and silver mining only a few miles from Mount St. Helen, it alerted people to something that most didn’t realize. There is GOLD in Southwest Washington! This part of the state is far from a leader when it comes to gold […]
“Conquering the world on horseback is easy, it is dismounting and governing that is hard.” Viewed in a different light, Genghis Khan’s thoughts on conquest can also apply to the development of a country’s natural wealth. Many countries are rich in resources, but have yet to establish sustainable ways to harness them. The very land […]
Taiwan’s gold-mining industry peaked during the period it was under Japanese colonization and was centered in today’s Ruifang District, New Taipei City. Only three kilometers apart, two towns stand out in this district as the epicenter of Taiwan’s gold-mining industry – Jiufen and Jinguashi. Jiufen and Jinguashi may be the only areas with large occurrences […]
Almost 75 million years ago, the Indian tectonic plate (previously part of the supercontinent Gondwana) drifted northeast. At the same time, the Tethyn oceanic crust subducted under the Eurasian plate, causing the Indian continental crust to thrust under Eurasia. These massive tectonic shifts created the extreme altitudes of the Himalayas, while the south created a […]
The World Bank labeled Chile as a high-income economy. It’s one of the few prosperous counties in South America. What explains the wealth and growth of this long, narrow country, stretching along the continent’s western boundary? Many sectors have contributed to the growth of Chile’s vibrant economy, with exports from the mining sector alone generate […]
Prospectors in southern Idaho are well acquainted with the geological richness of mountains surrounding Boise. After all, Idaho is the Gem State, well known for its natural beauty and bountiful mineral richness. A tributary of the Snake River, the Boise River is 102 miles long and its watershed covers a whopping 4,100 square miles of […]
American poet and photographer Laura Gilpin once said, a river seems a magic thing. A magic, moving, living part of the very earth itself. Indeed, the many rivers across the world are mystical and complex, cutting paths across massive tracts of land and bearing bountiful fruits beneath their waters. One such river is the Umpqua […]
It wasn’t long after the start of the California Gold Rush that Shasta County (where Swasey Recreation Area is located) made it to the California Gold map. Pierson B. Reading, an early settler who owned the 26,632-acre Rancho Buena Ventura along the Sacramento River, made that first discovery on Clear Creek, west of present-day Redding, […]