4/15/2008 11:34:00 AM High price of gold lures people back to the hills
Courtesy Photo
Ore Chutes as they appeared at the DeSoto Mine and Middleton site. Fire destroyed the two large wooden structures by fire about 10 years ago.
Courtesy Photo/Neal DuShane
A train pulls out of the train depot at the Middleton town site in the early 1900s.
By Diana Baker BB/CC News
The price of gold is soaring - luring many to begin searching for that precious, elusive metal - the bonanza - the mother lode. Even the words bring as much excitement today as 150 years ago.
The price of gold is hovering around $1,000 per ounce today and Arizona is feeling the rush of "gold fever" once again, according to Nyal Niemuth, chief mining engineer of the Arizona Department of Mines and Minerals.
He said that since 1860, Arizona has produced more than 16 million ounces of gold - the majority when the price of gold was $20 - $35 per ounce.
Arizona history is filled with legendary gold mines and real gold locations throughout the state: Coronado's legend of the Seven Cities of Cibola, the Legend of the Lost Dutchman and Peralta mines, the Lost Horse Thief Mine and the Lost Pick Mine somewhere northeast of Black Canyon City.
Tom Cleator used to say hope springs eternal nowhere more than in the heart of the gold miner. That big strike is sure to be tomorrow, next week or next year, he'd say.
The Bradshaw Mountain area in Yavapai County was an important and productive gold and silver mining district during Arizona's golden age of mining, said Ralph Costa, Bureau of Land Management mining engineer.
Towns sprang up all across the county from Prescott to Black Canyon City (known at times as Goddard, Canon or Black Canyon).
The old road to Prescott - the current Crown King/Bumble Bee/Mayer Road connected all the mining locations from Poland Junction to Crown King, Oro Belle and Bradshaw City.
Then the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was completed in 1904, connecting Mayer and Crown King.
The railroad was operated by the Sante Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway to service the southern Bradshaw Mountain mines and towns.
In 1905, a branch was added to connect Poland Junction.
Public opinion at the time was that completing a railroad from Mayer to Crown King with an increase of 2,000-foot elevation was not possible. Hence when Frank Murphy began construction many people termed the project Murphy's Impossible Railroad.
But the line was completed with five switchbacks, a tunnel and extremely high trestles between Cleator and Crown King.
Costa said the line was abandoned in the 1920s and Forest Road 259 uses much of the railroad bed today.
During its heyday Bradshaw City, just past Crown King, had more than 5,000 residents. Today all that remains there is a cemetery and a few walls and foundations at most other sites - Blue Bell, Cleator, Middleton, Alexandra, Tiger, Moreland City, Turkey Creek - all towns that existed for the mines.
Today Cleator is home to about 10 residents, Crown King has about 100 and Middleton, which boasted an ice cream parlor and pool hall, is just a few foundations.
But the lure of gold still exists and membership in gold panning clubs is rising sharply as are mining claim applications on state and federal lands.
However, Costa said, finding that "mother lode" or even a trace of the golden treasure is not as simple as one may think.
Rules and regulations for filing and maintaining a mining claim are complex.
Niemuth and Costa said a person cannot simply head out and start prospecting or mining just anywhere.
Even the weekend treasure hunter has the responsibility to determine land ownership and surface and mineral rights before prospecting, they said.
In Arizona, Costa said the BLM manages 12.2 million acres of surface and 17.5 million acres of sub-surface minerals with about 45,000 active mining claims. The Arizona State Land Department manages 9 million acres of State Trust Land.
He said fees for filing a mining claim are $170 - $180 per claim depending if federal or state land is involved. Then a yearly maintenance fee is required and an excise tax if it is on Arizona state land.
For any activity beyond casual use, Costa said, the claimant is required to file a plan of operations and financial guarantee bond to pay for any reclamation of the site when abandoned.
Sam Layne, the Arizona's abandoned mine specialist, said Arizona has more than 100,000 abandoned mining sites of which 10,000 have been declared hazardous to the public.
Niemuth said it is the responsibility of the individual to determine if an area is an active mining claim. Although claim markers may be placed on an active claim this is not always the case.
The BLM maintains a website for mining claims on federal lands at www.blm.gov/lr2000.
Information can be obtained by searching by township, range and section, the BLM AMC number or claimant name. People may get additional information from the Arizona State BLM Office at 602-417-9200.
The State Land Department has information on mining @www.land.state.az.us or contact 602-542-4621.
Mineral leases or mineral exploration permits may be obtained, however, no recreational prospecting is allowed on State Trust Land.
A good resource for all mining claims in Arizona is the Arizona Department of Mines and Minerals located at 1502 W. Washington. The website is www.admmr.state.az.us
Niemuth said, "Even with today's price of gold, mining is still not a profitable project for most. But there are still a lot of people out there looking."
He said the novice miner needs to be aware of what is involved in legal gold panning or even rock collecting on a valid mining claim or public or state land.
In the end, Niemuth said, the weekend gold prospector may find it easier and more rewarding to join a club such as the GPAA.
This group and many others maintain claims for club members to prospect and gold pan thus bypassing the complicated process of researching and filing of necessary forms and financial guarantee bonds.
Niemuth said a recent addition to the mining claim interest are claims that are being sold on EBAY.
The buyer, he said, needs to carefully check the claim description so that no misunderstanding occurs when bidding on a claim.
Niemuth said a mining claim is not for occupancy and for the majority of claims no structures or trailers are permitted.
While the claim may give the claimant mineral rights the land is still public land and open to grazing interests or camping.
The BLM recommends that anyone considering purchasing a mining claim check out the information carefully.
Costa said, "Enjoy the outdoors, know where you are on the ground before prospecting, and don't expect more than fun and you won't be disappointed.
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