Gold Hill (Nevada County, California)
Encyclopedia
Gold Hill, in Grass Valley, California
, was the site of one of the first discoveries of quartz gold
in California. While quartz gold was also found in other areas of Nevada County, California
during the same time, it is this find near Wolf Creek that led to quartz-mining frenzy and subsequent creation of the Gold Country
quartz-mining
industry. The location is honored as a California Historical Landmark
.
George Knight (sometimes known as McKnight) was a California Gold Rush
miner. In October 1850, he was on a Grass Valley hillside when he came across an outcropping of white quartz
rock laced with yellow. He pounded the rock with a cast iron
skillet and hammer, then washed out the gold. Searching for more gold in the same spot, he dug down into the outcropping and found a four inch gold vein. His find was announced by another miner, George Crandall (1825–1908), who ran down to Boston Ravine
, a small settlement, with the news.
Knight named the location Gold Hill and his claim became the Gold Hill Mine. He and friends constructed a crude stamp mill
made out of the local forest's pine tree logs and equipped it with metal boots. The contraption was propelled by Wolf Creek's rushing water.
By March 1851, there were 150 buildings in the area, including hotels, saloons, stores, and even the first school. Before the end of the year, thousands of people had moved to Grass Valley and neighboring Nevada City, California
.
While Gold Hill Mine produced $4,000,000 between 1850–1857, it "pinched out" by 1864 and closed.
A 1940 geological survey of the Gold Hill Quartz Mine reported the host rock to be Diabase
and Granodiorite
and the mineral list showed gold, pyrite
, and quartz.
No. 297. The plaque, located on the southwest corner of Jenkins Street and Hocking Avenue in Grass Valley reads:
Grass Valley, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Grass Valley had a population of 12,860. The population density was 2,711.3 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Grass Valley was 11,493 White, 46 African American, 208 Native American, 188 Asian, 9 Pacific Islander, 419 from other...
, was the site of one of the first discoveries of quartz gold
Quartz reef mining
Primary gold typically occurs in quartz veins. The extraction of gold ore from these hard quartz veins was historically referred to as quartz reef mining....
in California. While quartz gold was also found in other areas of Nevada County, California
Nevada County, California
Nevada County is a county located in the Sierra Nevada of California, in the Mother Lode country. As of 2010 its population was 98,764. The county seat is Nevada City.-History:Nevada County was created in 1851 from parts of Yuba County....
during the same time, it is this find near Wolf Creek that led to quartz-mining frenzy and subsequent creation of the Gold Country
Gold Country
Gold Country is a region in the central and northeastern part of California, United States. It is famed for the mineral deposits and gold mines that attracted waves of immigrants, known as the 49ers, during the 1849 California Gold Rush.-Geography:State Route 49 was built through the Gold Country,...
quartz-mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
industry. The location is honored as a California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
.
George Knight (sometimes known as McKnight) was a California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
miner. In October 1850, he was on a Grass Valley hillside when he came across an outcropping of white quartz
Quartz
Quartz is the second-most-abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. It is made up of a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall formula SiO2. There are many different varieties of quartz,...
rock laced with yellow. He pounded the rock with a cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
skillet and hammer, then washed out the gold. Searching for more gold in the same spot, he dug down into the outcropping and found a four inch gold vein. His find was announced by another miner, George Crandall (1825–1908), who ran down to Boston Ravine
Boston Ravine, California
Boston Ravine is a former settlement in Nevada County, California. Boston Ravine is located south-southwest of Grass Valley. Its elevation is above sea level.-History:...
, a small settlement, with the news.
Knight named the location Gold Hill and his claim became the Gold Hill Mine. He and friends constructed a crude stamp mill
Stamp mill
A stamp mill is a type of mill machine that crushes material by pounding rather than grinding, either for further processing or for extraction of metallic ores. Breaking material down is a type of unit operation....
made out of the local forest's pine tree logs and equipped it with metal boots. The contraption was propelled by Wolf Creek's rushing water.
By March 1851, there were 150 buildings in the area, including hotels, saloons, stores, and even the first school. Before the end of the year, thousands of people had moved to Grass Valley and neighboring Nevada City, California
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
.
While Gold Hill Mine produced $4,000,000 between 1850–1857, it "pinched out" by 1864 and closed.
A 1940 geological survey of the Gold Hill Quartz Mine reported the host rock to be Diabase
Diabase
Diabase or dolerite is a mafic, holocrystalline, subvolcanic rock equivalent to volcanic basalt or plutonic gabbro. In North American usage, the term diabase refers to the fresh rock, whilst elsewhere the term dolerite is used for the fresh rock and diabase refers to altered material...
and Granodiorite
Granodiorite
Granodiorite is an intrusive igneous rock similar to granite, but containing more plagioclase than orthoclase-type feldspar. Officially, it is defined as a phaneritic igneous rock with greater than 20% quartz by volume where at least 65% of the feldspar is plagioclase. It usually contains abundant...
and the mineral list showed gold, pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
, and quartz.
Historical landmark
The site is honored as California Historical LandmarkCalifornia Historical Landmark
California Historical Landmarks are buildings, structures, sites, or places in the state of California that have been determined to have statewide historical significance by meeting at least one of the criteria listed below:...
No. 297. The plaque, located on the southwest corner of Jenkins Street and Hocking Avenue in Grass Valley reads: