Old Hundred Gold Mine
The Old Hundred Gold Mine got its start in 1872 when the first of the Neigold brothers arrived from Germany and
staked his claim of the "Number Seven" vein on Galena Mountain. The brothers, Otto, Gustave, and Reinhard spent the next thirty years prospecting the area and developing veins. During that time, the Neigolds had their own town,
"Neigoldstown", on the Stony Pass trail leading into Silverton.
The brothers gradually assembled a large block of claims with several profitable veins, referring to one of the claims as "Old Hundredth" in 1898, likely referencing a German hymn by the same title. By this point, the brothers had formed
the Midland Mining Company, and were planning to create a long tunnel at the base of Galena Mountain to access the rich veins deeper inside the mountain. Tunnels were drilled in multiple levels on the mountain with the most profitable vein being the highest, the Number Seven tunnel, sitting at 12,750 feet above sea level.
In 1904, the Neigold brothers did not have the funds to continue to develop the mine and were ready for retirement.
They sold the Midland Mining properties to the Old Hundredth Mining Company which was organized in Maine. The new owners drilled the Number 7 tunnel at 12,000 feet, sitting at 2,000 feet above the creek below, and raised over one million dollars for continued development. The Old Hundredth Mining Company installed an aerial tram to connect the Number Seven vein with the narrow gauge railroad at the creek level. They also built a stamp mill, where the ores were
crushed and gold and other precious metals were separated.
By 1906, gold bars were being sent to the Denver Mint. The mining operation had a bright future and a new tunnel, called the Mill tunnel, was being built. But, by 1908, the good gold was "mined out" and the financial panic of 1907 had dried up funding for the new tunnel. The Old Hundredth Mining Company, which never made a profit on the mined ore, eventually defaulted on their loan and the abandoned property reverted back to the Neigold brothers. The brothers were broke and lost the mine in 1927, both to back taxes and the death of the last Neigold brother.
In the 1930's, the mine was worked sporadically (and unprofitably) by new owners. The answer was to continue to drill the lower tunnel and to use more efficient, and cheaper, mining methods to collect the large tonnages of low-grade ore likely held in the mountain. In 1967, a Texas oil company, Dixilyn Corporation, leased the property, bringing the financing and modern equipment needed to finish the Mill tunnel, driving it 5,000 feet into the base of the mountain.
In 1973, it was apparent that the mine held no profitability and it was returned to those who had purchased it in 1934. All the equipment was auctioned off and the buildings torn down. Nothing remained except the lone boardinghouse, built into the side of the mountain and miles of abandoned tunnels.
The mine is now open for tours during the summer months and the boardinghouse has been restored
and open for tours as well. More information can be found here.
Sunnyside Mine
Sunnyside Mine was a vein discovered in the San Juan Mountains in 1873 by George Howard and R.J. McNutt. Valid mining claims were made in 1874 and for the next 24 years, the mine was owned by various individuals. In 1900, Judge John Terry gained complete control and ownership of the mine. The mine was purchased in 1917 from the Terry family by The American Smelting and Refining Company. Mine improvements and expansion, as well as the construction of a new selective-flotation system made the Sunnyside mine one of Colorado's largest underground mines and in 1927, the Sunnyside mine was the first Colorado mine to produce 1,000 tons of ore per day and boast a payroll of more than 500 people.
In 1959, the Sunnyside mine was leased to Standard Metals Corporation which operated through the 1960's and 1970's. In June
1978, the mine broke into Lake Emma, emptying more than four million tons of water and mud into the workings. The cleanup effort took two years to complete before the mine was back in operation. In 1985, Standard Metals Corporation was forced into bankruptcy, closing the mine. Later, in 1985, the mine was leased by Echo Bay Mines, Ltd., entering back into production and in 1988, Echo Bay Mines, Ltd., formed a joint venture with Alta Bay Mines, the present operator.
The Old Hundred Gold Mine got its start in 1872 when the first of the Neigold brothers arrived from Germany and
staked his claim of the "Number Seven" vein on Galena Mountain. The brothers, Otto, Gustave, and Reinhard spent the next thirty years prospecting the area and developing veins. During that time, the Neigolds had their own town,
"Neigoldstown", on the Stony Pass trail leading into Silverton.
The brothers gradually assembled a large block of claims with several profitable veins, referring to one of the claims as "Old Hundredth" in 1898, likely referencing a German hymn by the same title. By this point, the brothers had formed
the Midland Mining Company, and were planning to create a long tunnel at the base of Galena Mountain to access the rich veins deeper inside the mountain. Tunnels were drilled in multiple levels on the mountain with the most profitable vein being the highest, the Number Seven tunnel, sitting at 12,750 feet above sea level.
In 1904, the Neigold brothers did not have the funds to continue to develop the mine and were ready for retirement.
They sold the Midland Mining properties to the Old Hundredth Mining Company which was organized in Maine. The new owners drilled the Number 7 tunnel at 12,000 feet, sitting at 2,000 feet above the creek below, and raised over one million dollars for continued development. The Old Hundredth Mining Company installed an aerial tram to connect the Number Seven vein with the narrow gauge railroad at the creek level. They also built a stamp mill, where the ores were
crushed and gold and other precious metals were separated.
By 1906, gold bars were being sent to the Denver Mint. The mining operation had a bright future and a new tunnel, called the Mill tunnel, was being built. But, by 1908, the good gold was "mined out" and the financial panic of 1907 had dried up funding for the new tunnel. The Old Hundredth Mining Company, which never made a profit on the mined ore, eventually defaulted on their loan and the abandoned property reverted back to the Neigold brothers. The brothers were broke and lost the mine in 1927, both to back taxes and the death of the last Neigold brother.
In the 1930's, the mine was worked sporadically (and unprofitably) by new owners. The answer was to continue to drill the lower tunnel and to use more efficient, and cheaper, mining methods to collect the large tonnages of low-grade ore likely held in the mountain. In 1967, a Texas oil company, Dixilyn Corporation, leased the property, bringing the financing and modern equipment needed to finish the Mill tunnel, driving it 5,000 feet into the base of the mountain.
In 1973, it was apparent that the mine held no profitability and it was returned to those who had purchased it in 1934. All the equipment was auctioned off and the buildings torn down. Nothing remained except the lone boardinghouse, built into the side of the mountain and miles of abandoned tunnels.
The mine is now open for tours during the summer months and the boardinghouse has been restored
and open for tours as well. More information can be found here.
Sunnyside Mine
Sunnyside Mine was a vein discovered in the San Juan Mountains in 1873 by George Howard and R.J. McNutt. Valid mining claims were made in 1874 and for the next 24 years, the mine was owned by various individuals. In 1900, Judge John Terry gained complete control and ownership of the mine. The mine was purchased in 1917 from the Terry family by The American Smelting and Refining Company. Mine improvements and expansion, as well as the construction of a new selective-flotation system made the Sunnyside mine one of Colorado's largest underground mines and in 1927, the Sunnyside mine was the first Colorado mine to produce 1,000 tons of ore per day and boast a payroll of more than 500 people.
In 1959, the Sunnyside mine was leased to Standard Metals Corporation which operated through the 1960's and 1970's. In June
1978, the mine broke into Lake Emma, emptying more than four million tons of water and mud into the workings. The cleanup effort took two years to complete before the mine was back in operation. In 1985, Standard Metals Corporation was forced into bankruptcy, closing the mine. Later, in 1985, the mine was leased by Echo Bay Mines, Ltd., entering back into production and in 1988, Echo Bay Mines, Ltd., formed a joint venture with Alta Bay Mines, the present operator.
Recommended reading
A mining engineer's adventures (1879-1881) sheds new light on Colorado mining history.
The well known letters of Eben Olcott reveal a very different side of the rough and rowdy mining frontier that dominated Colorado in the 1880's. There is plenty of history in "San Juan Gold', but unlike the traditional stereotype, the reader will find that Olcott searches out the cultural and religous centers of each booming mining camp. Much of his time was spent at the famous Ute-Ulay Mine near Lake City as well as the North Star Mine, high above Silverton.