History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I, Part 11

Author: Hawley, James Henry, 1847-1929, ed
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Chicago, The S. J. Clarke publishing company
Number of Pages: 910


USA > Idaho > History of Idaho, the gem of the mountains, Volume I > Part 11


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PIERCE CITY


Upon reaching the stream from which the eighty dollars' worth of dust had been taken, the party was visited by A. J. Cain, agent of the Nez Perce


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Indians, who did not warn them away, but complimented them upon their good behavior and the disposition shown by them not to interfere with the members of the tribe which claimed the land. They spent the winter in building cabins and preparing for active mining operations in the spring, occasionally washing out gold when the weather was favorable. To the collection of cabins they gave the name of "Pierce City," and as the gold found here was of exceptionally fine quality they named the mines "Oro Fino," a Spanish term meaning fine gold. This name was afterward given to the stream on which Pierce City was located about twenty miles above where it enters the Clearwater River. One account of this first mining venture in Idaho says:


"The conditions were not all favorable. The general level of the diggings was such as to make it difficult to dispose of the washed-out gravel; the gold was fine, requiring quicksilver to collect it, and black sand was present. Pierce recognized these drawbacks, but believed in the richness of the ground, and also that further prospecting would reveal gravel of still greater wealth."


Early in the year 1861 Sergt. J. C. Smith returned to Walla Walla with dust worth $800 taken from the Oro Fino mines. A little later three others came in with a larger amount. The news spread and, notwithstanding the military regulations, miners flocked to the new gold fields. E. R. Geary, super- intendent of Indian affairs, realizing that it would be impossible to prevent the gold seekers from entering upon the Indian lands, called the chiefs together and proposed a treaty that would meet the new conditions, but by the time the treaty was concluded several hundred men were already in the field prospect- ing every spot that looked like "pay dirt." A firm of Portland merchants took a stock of goods to Pierce City to be ready for the rush which they foresaw was bound to come upon the conclusion of the treaty. A company was organ- ized to run a line of steamboats on the Columbia to handle the traffic in both passengers and freight. In May, 1861, the Colonel Wright ascended the Snake River to the mouth of the Clearwater and up the latter stream for a distance of about twenty-five miles, being the first boat ever to reach a point that far inland. Prior to that time no boat had passed above the mouth of the Tucanon River.


At the place where the Colonel Wright landed a town immediately sprang up and was named "Slaterville" after its founder. It was only about thirty-five miles from Pierce City and its projector no doubt had visions of a metropolis that would be the great depot and supply point for the surrounding mining districts. Within a few days after the landing of the Colonel Wright "the town consisted of five houses of canvas, two of which were provision stores, two private dwellings, and the other a saloon. The saloon was roofed with two blankets-a red and a blue one. On its side was written the word 'WHISKEY' in charcoal and inside the stock in trade consisted of a barrel of the liquid. Two bottles and two drinking glasses constituted the furniture."


Slaterville at that time boasted a population of about fifty people. It was soon discovered that the rapids of the Clearwater were too difficult for steam- boats to negotiate, and most of them discharged their cargoes at the mouth of that stream. The little Tenino made a few trips up to Slaterville, after which the town was abandoned. Then a town was started lower down, near the junction of the Snake and Clearwater rivers and named Lewiston in


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honor of Captain Lewis, the head of the Lewis & Clark expedition, and this place was soon recognized as the starting point for the mining regions.


NEW GOLD DISCOVERIES


The mines discovered near Pierce City were neither particularly rich nor very extensive and the prospectors who flocked in there early in the spring of 1861 began searching for other and more favorable deposits. Gold was struck down the Oro Fino River near the mouth of that stream and soon the old camp of Pierce City had a formidable rival at a point where supplies could be more readily obtained, than they could be at Pierce City, and the Town of Oro Fino was soon established, and by the middle of the summer of that year had a population of about five hundred people.


In May, 1861 a party of fifty-two men left Oro Fino to prospect the south , fork of the Clearwater and its tributaries. Upon the south fork they came to a Nez Perce village, the chief of which reminded them that under the terms of the treaty, the lands south of the Clearwater were not open to exploration. The majority of the prospectors then turned back, while the others continued prospecting and soon found placer deposits that would pay and started a town, which they named Elk City, so named on account of the great number of elk in that vicinity. Several hundred men soon found employment in the camp.


Early in July a party of twenty-three men left Oro Fino to prospect in the Salmon River country and a portion of them continued their explorations until they came to a basin in the mountains about one hundred and ten miles southeast of Lewiston, at the headwaters of what was afterward known as Slate Creek and Miller's Creek, tributaries of the Salmon River. Here upon what was known as Miller's Creek, the first discovery was made by one of the party after whom the creek was named. This original discovery was quickly suc- ceeded by other discoveries in the immediate vicinty, and Summit Flat, Baboon Gulch, Smith's Gulch and other small areas of very rich placer ground were soon opened. The gold found was worth only about $12 an ounce and was much lighter than the gold in the Oro Fino or Elk City sections, but the some- what narrow pay streak in the different gulches struck was very rich, and as soon as work really commenced upon the claims the oldest miners were astounded at the amount of gold that was taken out. By the first of November nearly a thousand men had reached the camp, but there was very little opportunity of obtaining supplies and the greater portion of them had to leave. A band of the Nez Perce Indians lived in the vicinity of Slate Creek and under the im- mediate command of Captain Jack, who was sub-chief and who afterwards was distinguished as a friend of the whites, were the owners of a number of beef cattle and had also planted potatoes the year before in a considerable quantity and the Indians reaped a rich harvest by selling these articles to the miners who remained in the new camp. The winter started in early and there was but scant opportunity of obtaining supplies; a few of those who had secured claims had gone out to Lewiston in the fall and packed in a limited amount of flour and other necessaries.


Very many of those who had secured rich claims, however, were unable to obtain any supplies, whatever, from any source, although they had ample means to pay for them and were compelled, in order to save themselves from


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starvation to start for Lewiston. Their route led them across Camas Prairie and over Craig's Mountain and the snow soon became deep and it was im- possible to take horses over a great part of the trail. Lawyer was at the time the head chief of the Nez Perces and his entire tribe prided themselves on always having been friendly to the whites, and while many perished that left the mines, still a very great number were saved by the kind assistance afforded them by Chief Lawyer and his Nez Perces.


Practically all those, who remained in the camp during the winter, were without supplies in the spring and suffered untold hardships; in fact had it not, been for Captain Jack and his Indians living near the mouth of Slate Creek, very many would have perished from lack of food, as the winter of '61 and '62 was the hardest ever known either before or since in the Northwest ....


CONDITIONS ON THE PACIFIC COAST


The original placer gold discoveries found in California in 1848, and which caused the rush to that state in 1849 and the succeeding years were by this time well nigh exhausted and the restless, turbulent spirits, who had been en- gaged in placer mining in the mountains of the Golden State were eagerly awaiting for some new El Dorado, in which they could again take their chances for a quick fortune. After the discovery of gold in California, great rushes were constantly made from one section to another and it was characteristic of those who engaged in mining to be ready at any time to leave claims, in which they were doing fairly well to take a somewhat remote chance of doing far better in newly discovered diggings. The time was ripe in the early part of 1862 for another of the great rushes that had almost depopulated on several occasions, not only the mining camps of California, but those of Southern Oregon as well. The last of these great excitements was the Frazier rush in 1857, in which thousands of gold seekers suffered untold hardships and practically none of them reaped any reward.


Even this did not dampen the ardor of the many who were desirous of prospecting in new fields and the reports from the "Salmon River Country" as the new gold fields were called, were of the most flattering nature, and while these reports were well founded, so far as the richness of the new placers was concerned the mistaken supposition that they were extensive was thoroughly believed. Even before the spring opened thousands of adventurous spirits from the mining camps of California and Oregon flocked to the Northwest. The small towns that had already been established became crowded with adventurers, anxious to go to the new mines as soon as weather conditions permitted. The trails, however, leading into the new camp were impassable until the early part of April, and it was after the first of May before horses could be taken into the camp. Thonsands of men made the trip in April, but the loads were car- ried in on men's backs the last twenty miles, and the prices as late as the first of May on the most ordinary necessaries of life were held at an outrageously high figure. Flour even at that time sold for $1.00 a pound and other things in proportion.


FLORENCE


After the discovery of gold and in November of 1861, a town was laid off on the flat at the head of Baboon Gulch and the question of a name for the


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new camp was discussed, and one of the party, "Doc" Ferver suggested "Flor- ence" after his adopted daughter, who was residing in California.


As the country was well timbered, comfortable and substantial log houses were easily erected and the new town soon assumed a more prominent appear- ance than is usually seen in mining camps. After the trails were opened in 1862, John Creighton, Ralph Bledsoe and C. C. Higby, who were for many years afterward well known residents of Idaho, came in with stocks of goods and opened stores, carrying a general assortment of supplies in demand among miners. Saloons and gambling houses were soon established and Florence for a number of months was the most lively mining camp upon the Pacific Coast, and it was by adventurers starting from that camp, that most of the discoveries of 1862 were made.


DISCOVERIES OF 1862


Of the thousands who came into the new camp of Florence during the sun- mer of 1862, nearly all stopped for a short time at least. The limited area of placer ground, however, in that vicinity soon became apparent and pros- pecting parties started in all directions. As usual in all mining camps the un- founded reports of rich discoveries soon became circulated among those remain- ing in the camp, and it was early in the summer of 1862 that a rumor became current there that rich mines had been discovered at the base of the mountain known as Buffalo Hump, a well known mountain, situated about forty miles northeast from Florence, and to the new El Dorado went practically all of those who had come into the new section; they packed their scant amount of pro- visions and blankets on their backs and started for the new El Dorado, but only disappointment awaited them there, as they soon ascertained. There was no placer and the gold bearing ledges cropping out in many places were of a low grade and could not be profitably worked at that time.


The Buffalo Hump excitement was soon succeeded by another. James War- ren with a few others left Florence in the early summer and crossing the Salmon River to the south side, extended their trip into the mountains and soon struck gold in paying quantities and established a camp known as Warren's Diggings. The placer ground in the vicinity of the new camp was quite rich and much more extensive than the Florence diggings, and for a great many years a con- siderable number of men were engaged in very profitable placer mining. There has been a revival of mining in this old camp during the past two years, as large quartz lodes are being developed and some of its old glories promise to be restored. The name of James Warren, the head of the party that discovered the camp has been preserved not only in the name of the little town of Warren, but in the main creek of the camp, which was called after him.


THE BOISE BASIN


Situated at the head of Moore's Creek and its several branches and at a distance of from thirty to fifty miles from the City of Boise, lies the Boise Basin, a section embracing about two hundred and fifty square miles in area and con- sisting of numerous creeks and gulches running between hills much lower than the mountains separating the Basin from the surrounding country. This sec-


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tion undoubtedly has produced more placer gold than any other equal area upon the Pacific Coast. Up to 1880, the time when the placer mines were be- coming rapidly exhausted, it was estimated upon the most reliable authority that could be obtained that $250,000,000 worth of gold dust had been extracted since the time of its discovery.


The events leading up to the opening of this great placer field have been stated in various forms, but there is no doubt that George Grimes, and a small party with him, in the summer of 1862 first ascertained the existence of placer gold in that locality.


It is claimed that Moses Splawn in 1861, at Elk City, was told by a Bannock Indian, who happened to be in that section and who was watching Splawn as he washed out gold-bearing gravel on his placer claim, that there was a basin in the mountains south of the Salmon River where, in his younger days, he had seen yellow particles such as the miners were taking out at Elk City. Splawn obtained a description of' the place from him and in the early summer of 1862 organized a party to look for the basin.


It is also a matter of tradition among the old timers of Idaho, and the ac- count has been copied into a number of historical allusions to the early events of that section, that Capt. Thomas Turner, a resident of the Willamette Valley in Oregon, in the spring or early summer of 1862 organized a party to search for the mythical "Blue Bucket" diggings, a rich placer deposit in the mountains, in what is now Idaho and south of the Snake River, alleged to have been found by immigrants traveling the Oregon Trail in 1845, and so named because the immigrants claimed that they could have filled a blue bucket with the yellow metal, which they did not know was gold.


The Splawn party and the Turner party joined forces in their hunt for the golden treasure and under their agreement were to commence their pros- pecting efforts south of the Snake River and, in the event they failed to find the "Blue Bucket" diggings, were to try to ascertain the whereabouts of the basin described by the Indian in his talk with Moses Splawn. After being in each other's company for a' few days trouble arose and the Splawn party withdrew from the others, turning northward and soon met another party, led by George Grimes, which they joined and shortly after reached a section answering the description given by the Indian.


Near what is now the small town of Pioneerville, but which soon after the discovery of gold became a prosperous mining camp officially known as Pioneer City but by the succeeding residents of the Basin commonly called "Hogem" the party under the leadership of Grimes soon found gold in paying quantities and proceeded to investigate the surrounding bars and gulches. They soon satisfied themselves that a large area of good placer ground was in sight. Un- fortunately, a party of hostile Indians had camped in that locality and a few days after the discovery was made trouble arose between the prospectors and these Indians and Grimes was killed. His companions buried him in a low pass on the divide between the waters of the Boise and the Payette rivers, and near Grimes Creek, the stream on which the main discoveries by his party were made, the grave of this early pioneer and hardy prospector, to whom more than all others is due the discovery of the great placer deposits of the Boise Basin, is located. Care has been taken to preserve the spot and to surround it with a


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proper enclosure, but it is to be hoped that in the future a worthy monument will be erected to commemorate the most important event in the history of min- ing in the State of Idaho.


After the death of Grimes the small party that had accompanied him be- came convinced they had not a sufficient force to cope with the hostile Indians that might at any time attack them, and they left the scene of their discoveries for the purpose of obtaining assistance. News of their discoveries soon reached Florence and the news, almost as a matter of course, was spread to Walla Walla, Lewiston and other points where settlements had already been made.


In August, 1862, the knowledge of the discoveries becoming known in Flor- ence, a large number of the adventurous spirits who had been making that town their headquarters during the summer and some of whom had been engaged in business there but were anxious to seek newer and more extended localities, formed themselves into a party and, under the leadership of Jeff Standifer and Ralph Bledsoe started for the new eldorado. Coming into the Basin from the Horseshoe Bend section on the Payette, they camped on Granite Creek, a tribu- tary of Grimes Creek, and their prospecting soon developed the fact that ex- tensive gold deposits were scattered all over that section. Placerville, one of the large towns of the Basin, was soon laid out and became the center of opera- tions on the western side of the Basin.


Other parties quickly followed. It was soon ascertained that the rich gold deposits on Grimes Creek extended far below Pioneerville, where the first dis- covery was made, and Centerville, for many years another of the important towns of the Basin, was soon founded.


Before the winter had shut down the prospectors had extended their dis- coveries to Elks Creek and Moores Creek, on the eastern side of the Basin, and the richest area of the rich basin was found to exist in the locality of the town started and first called West Bannock, the name afterward being changed to Idaho City.


The Basin was comparatively easy of access and hundreds of prospectors found their way in during the fall and winter of 1862, and small stores of merchandise were taken in from Walla Walla for sale. Beef cattle were also driven in and existence become possible.


The news of this new discovery soon reached all points of Oregon and Cali- fornia. Many of the disappointed gold seekers, who had gone into the Florence country and returned to their former places of residence, again braved the hardships of the trip to the mountains, and in the spring of 1863 the roads leading from Oregon and from California were lined with thousands of pros- pectors journeying toward the Basin. Before the end of 1863 the most con- servative estimates show over twenty thousand men in the Basin, practically all of whom were engaged in mining. The country was well timbered and saw- mills were soon started in various localities. Lumber was easily obtained for mining purposes and for dwellings in the towns. Most of the people, however, lived on their mining claims on the various creeks and gulches, building sub- stantial houses out of the smaller timber, which was plentiful, and cooking their own food.


Placer mining in the Basin for the next three years was at its zenith. Then the shallow, rich deposits began to be exhausted and by 1870 placer mining


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was on the wane, only the deeper creek diggings and the hills which demanded hydraulic appliances being worked in an extended way.


SOUTH OF THE SNAKE


There is no doubt but what the party of Moses Splawn and Captain Turner. looking for the lost "Blue Bucket" diggings, was very close to the discoveries subsequently made in what is now Owyhee County during the summer of 1862. Early in 1863, however, Michael Jordan a well known prospector, led a party from the newly established camp of Placerville to the mountains south of the Snake River, still in search of the lost "Blue Bucket" diggings of 1845. Crossing the Snake River near the mouth of the Boise, they proceeded to the mountains south and after varying adventures discovered gold in paying quantities on a stream which was called, in honor of the leader of the party, Jordan Creek. This creek is a tributary of the Owyhee River, and after ascertaining that fact and prospecting the adjacent country and locating what they supposed was the richest portion of it, they returned to Placerville and reported what they had found.


The usual rush followed the report of the new discovery and within forty- eight hours two thousand men, it is estimated, had left the Boise Basin, hoping to find still richer diggings than those on which they were engaged in mining in that place. Upon reaching Jordan Creek it was soon found that the original discoverers had located practically all of the claims that could be worked by placer methods and that but little of value was left for the new comers. Where- upon, most of them soon returned to their claims in the Basin.


The names of the twenty-nine men composing the party led by Michael Jordan have been ascertained, and it is proper that these names should be pre- served as a part of the permanent records of the state. These were: Michael Jordan, A. J. Miner, J. C. Boone, O. H. Purdy, A. Eddington, J. Johnson, W. T. Carson, D. P. Barnes, R. W. Prindall, C. Ward, M. Conner, John Cannon, W. L. Wade, Cyrus Iba, F. Height, Dr. A. F. Rudd, William Duncan, James Carroll, A. J. Reynolds, H. R. Wade, W. Churchill, J. R. Cain, John Moore, Jerome Fran- cisco, Joseph Dorsey, William Phipps, G. W. Chadwick, L. C. Gehr, and P. H. Gordon.


Michael Jordan, after whom Jordan Creek was named, was the leader of the party. He and James Carroll were afterward killed by Indians. H. R. Wade was elected the first county treasurer of Owyhee County. He was one of the discoverers of the first quartz ledge in July, 1863, in what was known as Whiskey Gulch. Mr. Height went to southeastern Idaho and became the proprietor of the Hailey Hot Springs. O. H. Purdy was killed at South Moun- tain in a skirmish with the Bannock Indians in June, 1878. W. T. Carson died at Silver City in 1865. What became of the other members of the party is not known.


The discovery of the Jordan Creek placers was far more important, how- ever, than was at first supposed. In the fall of 1863 it was found that rich silver and gold bearing ledges were situated on the mountains to the south of the placers and a second great rush of prospectors followed. The Morning Star, the Oro Fino, the Poorman and many other rich mines were located. Large amounts of money were made by pulverizing the rich streaks in the ledges


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in hand mortars. Some of the ores from the richest of the claims assayed fabulous amounts. It was soon claimed that with the exception of Virginia City, in Nevada, this section was the richest in the United States so far as silver mining was concerned. Many of these lode claims were worked in an extended way by companies that became their owners and a large amount of gold and silver was extracted during many years after. It is claimed by very many that with modern appliances and new methods the mining glories of this particular section will be revived in the future and that it will become as important a min- ing center as it was in the olden days. 1 The first town in the Owyhee mining district was located on Jordan Creek and called Booneville, in honor of a member of the discovery party of that name. It was soon ascertained to be an entirely improper location for a town and Ruby City was established above and on more favorable ground. In December of 1863, the Town of Silver was laid out, about a mile above Ruby City, and soon became the center of operations in that vicinity.




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