Golden, Oregon
Encyclopedia
Golden is an abandoned mining town
located on Coyote Creek in Josephine County
, Oregon
, United States.
by white people
in the late 1840s when gold
was discovered. However, most of the settlers left when gold was found in the nearby Salmon River in 1850. Soon, Chinese
miner
s took over the abandoned mines. Several years later, the Chinese were driven out as the whites returned from the Salmon River.
A hydraulic mine
was built, and in 1885, a schoolhouse
was built about a 1/2 mi downstream from Golden.
By 1892, over 150 people lived along Coyote Creek. A Campbellite
church and general store
were constructed, and in 1896 the Golden post office
established. In 1915, a stamp mill
was built.
In 1920, the post office closed.
The church was rebuilt in 1950. The general store, carriage house
, and several homes are still standing today.
The Golden Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Mining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
located on Coyote Creek in Josephine County
Josephine County, Oregon
Josephine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to Oregon Geographic Names, the county is probably named after a stream in the area called Josephine Creek, which in turn is probably named after Virginia Josephine Rollins Ort. In 2010, its population was 82,713...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States.
History
Coyote Creek was first settledSettler
A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. Settlers are generally people who take up residence on land and cultivate it, as opposed to nomads...
by white people
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
in the late 1840s when gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was discovered. However, most of the settlers left when gold was found in the nearby Salmon River in 1850. Soon, Chinese
Overseas Chinese
Overseas Chinese are people of Chinese birth or descent who live outside the Greater China Area . People of partial Chinese ancestry living outside the Greater China Area may also consider themselves Overseas Chinese....
miner
Miner
A miner is a person whose work or business is to extract ore or minerals from the earth. Mining is one of the most dangerous trades in the world. In some countries miners lack social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance....
s took over the abandoned mines. Several years later, the Chinese were driven out as the whites returned from the Salmon River.
A hydraulic mine
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
was built, and in 1885, a schoolhouse
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
was built about a 1/2 mi downstream from Golden.
By 1892, over 150 people lived along Coyote Creek. A Campbellite
Campbellite
Campbellite refers to any of the religious groups historically descended from the Restoration Movement, a religious reform movement in the early 19th century in the United States...
church and general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
were constructed, and in 1896 the Golden post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
established. In 1915, a 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....
was built.
In 1920, the post office closed.
The church was rebuilt in 1950. The general store, carriage house
Carriage house
A carriage house, also called remise or coach house, is an outbuilding which was originally built to house horse-drawn carriages and the related tack.In Great Britain the farm building was called a Cart Shed...
, and several homes are still standing today.
The Golden Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.