Mining Idaho's History: Metal Mining in Idaho, 1860-1960, A Mining Context for Idaho

McKay, Kathryn

From preface: "This report has been prepared in order to help cultural resource specialists and other interested people identify, evaluate, and manage Idaho's historic precious-and base-metal mining properties dating from 1860 to 1960. The remains of historic placer and lode mines, mills, and smelters range from isolated collapsed adits to extensive industrial complexes. They were built for temporary use and have often deteriorated due to salvaging of machinery and materials, periodic re-use and remodeling, severe weather, vandalism, and neglect. Such sites present a challenge to those evaluating their significance and integrity... The historic context for metal mining in Idaho presented in the first part of this report is based primarily on the documentary record, including site forms for historic mining sites that have been recorded in the state. As new information is discovered and more mining properties are identified and evaluated, the context may be revised. It provides an analytic framework within which the importance of a particular historic site can be evaluated. The second section of this report describes mining-related property types and discusses the eligibility requirements for these property types. The property types that have been developed link the theoretical material in the historic context with the actual historic resources that illustrate those ideas. This section also outlines threats to historic mining sites, known information gaps, and suggested goals and objectives for identifying, evaluating, managing, and treating historic mining properties in Idaho. Idaho experienced extraordinary growth and transformation as its mining wealth was explored, prospected, assayed, napped, mined, milled, and exported to the country's manufacturing and financial centers between the Civil War and the Cold War. It is a dramatic story, and though presented here in a management context rather than as a historical narrative, we suspect that many audiences will find Idaho's mining heritage as fascinating as we have." Funding for this project was provided in part through a fiscal year 2001 Historic Preservation Fund grant to the Idaho Historic Preservation Office (project number ID-01-030) administered by the State, Tribal, and Local Plans and Grants Division, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Mining Idaho's History: Metal Mining in Idaho, 1860-1960, A Mining Context for Idaho

Collections