A couple of weekends ago my children and I took the opportunity to visit one of the many mines in California. We were invited to go along with one of my brother’s and his family. My children enjoy spending time with all of their family members and we have been taking every opportunity that we can, especially since moving closer to family at the beginning of the year.
The mine they had chosen to visit is about an hour away from where we live; taking California Highway 50 to the east in the city of Placerville. Placerville is a city located in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Upon arriving at the Gold Bug Mine we were able to purchase tickets for a self guided tour of the mine. This tour uses an app you can download to your phone. If you do not have a phone you can download the app with, they have a device to use as well.
After we took the tour, which was about twenty minutes long (although ours may have been more like twenty-five to thirty minutes because I accidentally kept playing the same part of the tour), we purchased an hour’s time to allow our children to pan for gems. They found a lot of gems and a few ended up getting wet from trying to reach over the troughs to do the panning. It was a lot of fun.
When our hour of panning was finished, we went to the blacksmith shop and were able to watch the Blacksmith work on shaping metal. Before he showed us his skills, he taught us how they use a fire to be able to shape the metal. He told us that when miners needed a tool or the tool they had was broken, they would visit the blacksmith to have one made or the broken one fixed. The blacksmith was responsible for making horseshoes for horses, weapons needed, and many different types of tools that anyone needed. Of course the blacksmith that worked at mines mostly made tools the miners would use, but still needed to know how to make normal things as well. Even though mines needed the tools to mine with, they also needed the equipment to move the ore that was being mined out. So while they mainly made mining tools they would also help make the parts for mine-carts to connect with the wheels and such.
The blacksmith demonstrated to us how to make something out of metal. He ended up making an s hook that can be used to hang things on a tree while outdoors. He was kind enough to give it to my daughter so we can use it on our upcoming camping trip. It was kind of him to give it to us and I know we will use it well next month when we are camping. He also showed us many different things that he has made using old horseshoes. He has taken these old horseshoes and made tools for cooking with. Other things he has reused were old railroad tie stakes that he had changed into things with the horseshoes or on their own. With both he made a door knocker and with the the railroad tie steak he made a knife.
After visiting the blacksmith we were able to go to the stamp mill and learn about the stamp they use to break up the ore to extract the gold. They also have a working scale model that demonstrates the process as well as the sound that the millers would deal with.
There was a lot of educational information at the mine and it was still fun to be learning about the mine.
When we were finished at the mine we drove over to the American River for a picnic and a swim in the river. By the time we got to the swimming the sun was starting to set and since it is still spring the water was ice cold from all the snow runoff. A few of my children fell in more than went in on their own while the rest of us just waded in our feet a little and then only for a small amount of time. It was a fun day and we cannot wait for our camping trip together.
If you are ever in Northern California and would like to learn more about gold mining I would definitely recommend checking out Gold Bug Mine in Placerville. There are a lot of knowledgeable people to teach you about the mines, the way to mine and all the developments mines have gone through throughout the years to change and make mining a little easier. I know there are a lot of mines throughout a lot of California and I have been to others when I was in school and when other family members have come to town when I was young, but this is the very first one my children have experienced since we have moved to California.
Let me know in the comments if you have ever been to this mine or any other mine. If you have other places of history that would be good to check out with a family I would love the suggestions.
whoiscall
Thanks!