New Almaden
Encyclopedia
The New Almaden quicksilver mine in the Santa Teresa Hills
in Santa Clara County, California
, United States, is the oldest and most productive quicksilver (i.e., mercury)
mine in the U.S. The site was known to the Ohlone Indians for its cinnabar
long before a Mexican settler discovered the ores in 1820. By the time they were identified as mercury, the mine was perfectly timed to supply the California Gold Rush
. The mine ran intermittently after 1927 and eventually closed. It was purchased by the county and is now part of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.
mine in (old) Almadén
, Spain
, which had operated since at least Roman times. The term Almadén, meaning "the mine"., is derived from the Arabic language
through medieval Islamic Spain.
Arthur De Wint Foote
worked at New Almaden in the late 1870s under Randol.
Historical life at the New Almaden mine was vividly drawn by Mary Hallock Foote
, the wife of Arthur DeWint Foote, the Resident Engineer from 1876. Her illustrated correspondence about New Almaden, "A California Mining Camp", appeared in the February 1878 issue of Scribner's Monthly
.
New Almaden also features prominently in her memoir A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West, which was later fictionalized by Wallace Stegner
in his novel Angle of Repose
.
in 1961. By the time Santa Clara County
bought the mines in 1976 and ended operations, 83,974,076 pounds (37,388 metric tons) of mercury (worth more than US$70 million) had been extracted.
The remains of a variety of structures left over from the 135 years of mining activity, including housing for the up to 1,800 miners, are scattered about the park, with the biggest concentration at what was known as English Camp, established by Cornish
miners in the 1860s. Some structures were built later by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and there is a memorial honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps
firefighter
s that were stationed there for a time.
There is also a museum adjacent at the site.
Almaden Quicksilver County Park is a 4,147 acres (17 km²) park
that includes the grounds of former mercury
("quicksilver") mine
s. The park's elevation
varies greatly: the most used entrances (on the east side of the park) are less than 600 feet (183 m) above sea level
, while the highest point in the park is over 1,700 feet (518 m) above sea level. During the coldest storms of the winter season, it is not uncommon for the high summits to receive a light dusting of snow; this light dusting usually melts by noon. The park is owned and managed by the County of Santa Clara and its grounds also include the Guadalupe Reservoir
; adjacent to park is the Almaden Reservoir
. The Casa Grande Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is located nearby.
, Sanborn Park
and Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Very soon after buying the mining property in 1976, Santa Clara County began planning for park usage, in an era where the county parks program was aggressively expanding.
The county parks director envisioned a historic park where visitors could experience the mining past and also enjoy the biodiversity
of the natural setting. Facilities plans were created and an Environmental Impact Report was prepared.
Principal issues assessed in the park proposal were:
mining and the cultural history of the mining communities at New Almaden. The exhibits include a mine diorama of the interior of a mine shaft, mining equipment and techology, a mine manager's office with period displays, and artifacts from Cornish
, Mexican
and Chinese
mining families.
Santa Teresa Hills
The Santa Teresa Hills are a mountain range in Santa Clara County, California, located partly in the city of San Jose. They are one the landforms around the Almaden Valley.-Rancho San Vicente:...
in Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, United States, is the oldest and most productive quicksilver (i.e., mercury)
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
mine in the U.S. The site was known to the Ohlone Indians for its cinnabar
Cinnabar
Cinnabar or cinnabarite , is the common ore of mercury.-Word origin:The name comes from κινναβαρι , a Greek word most likely applied by Theophrastus to several distinct substances...
long before a Mexican settler discovered the ores in 1820. By the time they were identified as mercury, the mine was perfectly timed to supply the 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...
. The mine ran intermittently after 1927 and eventually closed. It was purchased by the county and is now part of Almaden Quicksilver County Park.
History
The mine is named for a mercuryMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
mine in (old) Almadén
Almadén
Almadén, Spain, is a town and municipality in the province of Ciudad Real, within the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. The town is located at 4° 49' W and 38° 46' N and is 589 meters above sea level. Almadén is approximately 200 km south of Madrid in the Sierra Morena...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, which had operated since at least Roman times. The term Almadén, meaning "the mine"., is derived from the Arabic language
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
through medieval Islamic Spain.
Arthur De Wint Foote
Arthur De Wint Foote was a mining and civil engineer who built Foote's Crossing across the Middle Yuba River and Foote's Crossing Road , and designed the hydraulic wheel for the North Star Mine Powerhouse, now a California Historical Landmark.-Early years:Foote was born...
worked at New Almaden in the late 1870s under Randol.
Historical life at the New Almaden mine was vividly drawn by Mary Hallock Foote
Mary Hallock Foote
Mary Hallock Foote was an American author and illustrator. She is best known for her illustrated short stories and novels portraying life in the mining communities of the turn-of-the-century American West.-Overview:...
, the wife of Arthur DeWint Foote, the Resident Engineer from 1876. Her illustrated correspondence about New Almaden, "A California Mining Camp", appeared in the February 1878 issue of Scribner's Monthly
Scribner's Magazine
Scribner's Magazine was an American periodical published by the publishing house of Charles Scribner's Sons from January 1887 to May 1939. Scribner's Magazine was the second magazine out of the "Scribner's" firm, after the publication of Scribner's Monthly...
.
New Almaden also features prominently in her memoir A Victorian Gentlewoman in the Far West, which was later fictionalized by Wallace Stegner
Wallace Stegner
Wallace Earle Stegner was an American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist, often called "The Dean of Western Writers"...
in his novel Angle of Repose
Angle of repose
The angle of repose or, more precisely, the critical angle of repose, of a granular material is the steepest angle of descent or dip of the slope relative to the horizontal plane when material on the slope face is on the verge of sliding. This angle is in the range 0°–90°.When bulk granular...
.
Modern times
The entrances to the mines are closed off. After being identified as a superfund site and subsequent containment activities, the mining area can now be visited as part of the Santa Clara County Almaden Quicksilver county park. It was declared a National Historic LandmarkNational Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1961. By the time Santa Clara County
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
bought the mines in 1976 and ended operations, 83,974,076 pounds (37,388 metric tons) of mercury (worth more than US$70 million) had been extracted.
The remains of a variety of structures left over from the 135 years of mining activity, including housing for the up to 1,800 miners, are scattered about the park, with the biggest concentration at what was known as English Camp, established by Cornish
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
miners in the 1860s. Some structures were built later by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and there is a memorial honoring the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
firefighter
Firefighter
Firefighters are rescuers extensively trained primarily to put out hazardous fires that threaten civilian populations and property, to rescue people from car incidents, collapsed and burning buildings and other such situations...
s that were stationed there for a time.
There is also a museum adjacent at the site.
Almaden Quicksilver County Park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
that includes the grounds of former mercury
Mercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
("quicksilver") mine
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...
s. The park's elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
varies greatly: the most used entrances (on the east side of the park) are less than 600 feet (183 m) above sea level
Sea level
Mean sea level is a measure of the average height of the ocean's surface ; used as a standard in reckoning land elevation...
, while the highest point in the park is over 1,700 feet (518 m) above sea level. During the coldest storms of the winter season, it is not uncommon for the high summits to receive a light dusting of snow; this light dusting usually melts by noon. The park is owned and managed by the County of Santa Clara and its grounds also include the Guadalupe Reservoir
Guadalupe Reservoir
Guadalupe Reservoir is a reservoir in Santa Clara County, California, about east of the city of San Jose, California. It is at an elevation of . It has a capacity of . The dam is located on the Guadalupe River adjacent to Hicks Road...
; adjacent to park is the Almaden Reservoir
Almaden Reservoir
Almaden Reservoir is an artificial lake in the hills south of San Jose, California, U.S.A.. It borders on Almaden Quicksilver County Park.The lake is formed by Almaden Dam, built in 1936 across Los Alamitos Creek. and its waters reach the San Francisco Bay by way of the Guadalupe River.- Almaden...
. The Casa Grande Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is located nearby.
Conversion from mines to park
In the period 1976 to 1978 the county developed a number of new large parks in rapid succession including Grant Ranch ParkGrant Ranch Park
Grant Ranch Park is the largest park in Santa Clara County, California, USA. Also known as Joseph D. Grant County Park, this site is situated in the eastern foothills of Santa Clara Valley....
, Sanborn Park
Sanborn Park
Sanborn Park is a public park situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains owned and managed by the county of Santa Clara, California. The park, originally named Sanborn-Skyline County Park is also known as Sanborn Skyline Park or Sanborn County Park. The holding is heavily forested and offers hiking...
and Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Very soon after buying the mining property in 1976, Santa Clara County began planning for park usage, in an era where the county parks program was aggressively expanding.
The county parks director envisioned a historic park where visitors could experience the mining past and also enjoy the biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of the natural setting. Facilities plans were created and an Environmental Impact Report was prepared.
Principal issues assessed in the park proposal were:
- biological impacts upon habitat by park users
- water quality impacts to creeks draining the watershed
- visual and drainage impacts of road improvements
- historical analysis of mine usage
New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum
The New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum is located in the Casa Grande (big house) at 21350 Almaden Road in New Almaden. La Case Grande, an 1854 revival-style mansion designed and built by architect Francis Meyers, was the official residence and office of the mine superintendents, as well as a country retreat for wealthy mine investors. The mansion now serves as the site of the New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum, which contains exhibits about the history of mercuryMercury (element)
Mercury is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is also known as quicksilver or hydrargyrum...
mining and the cultural history of the mining communities at New Almaden. The exhibits include a mine diorama of the interior of a mine shaft, mining equipment and techology, a mine manager's office with period displays, and artifacts from Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
, Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
and Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
mining families.
External links
- New Almaden Quicksilver Mining Museum and Casa Grande
- Almaden Quicksilver County Park
- Volunteer Organization supporting the Park, includes more information about the park and museum
- New Almaden Quicksilver Mine at Historic American Buildings SurveyHistoric American Buildings SurveyThe Historic American Buildings Survey , Historic American Engineering Record , and Historic American Landscapes Survey are programs of the National Park Service established for the purpose of documenting historic places. Records consists of measured drawings, archival photographs, and written...
- "Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California" (1862) by James M. Hutchings, Chapter 6 - Interesting description of life and operations at the mine site during the 1860's