North Star Mine
Encyclopedia
The North Star Mine was located on Lafayette Hill
a short distance south of Grass Valley, California
, USA. It was the second largest producer of gold during California’s Gold Rush
. In 1898, the largest ever Pelton wheel
for its time was built for the mine. The North Star Mine Company also owned locations on Weimar Hill, adjoining and south of the North Star Mine. It shut down during World War II
after its consolidation with the Empire Mine
.
Competition between Grass Valley Gold District's 95 mines was fierce, forcing them to open, close, and re-open at various times. Each was concerned with power sources to extract the gold. Many, like the North Star, used wood-fired engines to generate steam, depending on the surrounding forest for firewood. The North Star Mine was Grass Valley Gold District's deepest mine, measuring 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) vertical depth.
In 1895, Foote settled in Grass Valley, having been hired to design and construct an electric-generating plant for the mine. At the North Star Mine Powerhouse
, he installed the largest operating Pelton water wheel to that date; it was the largest tangent
ial water wheel
in the world. The powerhouse is a designated California Historical Landmark
. In 1905, Julia Morgan
designed a mansion for Foote and his wife, the illustrator and writer Mary Hallock Foote
; the North Star House
was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2011.
In 1911, with his partners, Foote purchased the Tightner Mine in Alleghany, California
. Two years later, in 1913, he designed and built Foote's Crossing Road
along the Middle Yuba River
to improve transportation between the two mines; the road became a National Register of Historic Places
landmark.
Foote's son, Arthur Burling Foote, who started at the North Star as an assistant, went on to become the mine's manager after his father's retirement in 1913. In 1918, the North Star brought suit against the Empire Mine for underground encroachment upon its claim, but the boundaries were resolved, and the matter never went to trial. By 1928, the North Star's total output value was approximately $33 million. The following year, Newmont Mining Corporation purchased the Empire Mine and the North Star Mine, consolidating them to become Empire-Star Mines, Ltd. The Empire-Star was forced to shut down by the U.S. War Production Board during World War II.
), his brother, Edward Coleman, and Arthur De Wint Foote
. Its early owners were all miners such John Coleman, Edward Colman (John's brother), William H. Rodda, Josiah Rodda, John Rodda, William Kitto, William Hoskin, William H. Thomas, James Dods and John Harper. The mine and mill employed over seventy men. Three-quarters of them had emigrated here from Cornwall
, England
where they had worked in the depressed tin mines. These Cornish miners introduced the Cornish pump and the Cornish pastie
to the area.
. A vertical hoisting and ventilation shaft was sunk 800 feet (243.8 m) east of the incline. This shaft was set to cut the mine on the level of the fourth gallery. The shoots of ore in this ground have an easterly pitch. The ore has had a gradually increasing tenor of gold.
The North Star Mine Company owned 2100 feet (640.1 m) upon the course of the lode. Between 1861-1865, the net returns were approximately $500,000, about one-fourth of which was expended in permanent improvements on the property. These included the drain tunnel, half a mile long, which was the most considerable item, and a new mill of sixteen stamps. About $375,000 of the net savings were returned to the owners in dividends, obtained from the use of a six stamp mill during 1862-63, which was subsequently enlarged. The returns for the year 1866 were $315,000, derived from the crushing of 6,000 tons of ore. The ores of this mine are considerably sulphuretted, but the value of the sulphurets in gold was much less than in the nearby Eureka Mine. The North Star did not possess chlorination works, but dressed their tailings by hand rockers for sale. The ores showed free gold, often in very fine masses, implanted in quartz, which resembles that of the nearby Rocky Bar Mine and Massachusetts Hill Mine.
The sixteen stamp mill, erected in 1866, had a capacity of crushing about two tons to the stamp daily. The water in this mine was light, a supply for the use of the amalgamation works being derived from a neighboring ditch company. This circumstance, as well as the low angle of the dip of the vein, favored very greatly the economy of development of the North Star to a great depth.
Lafayette Hill, California
Lafayette Hill is a former settlement in Nevada County, California. Lafayette Hill is located south of Grass Valley.Lafayette Hill was a mining settlement.-References:...
a short distance south of Grass Valley, California
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...
, USA. It was the second largest producer of gold during California’s 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...
. In 1898, the largest ever Pelton wheel
Pelton wheel
The Pelton wheel is an impulse turbine which is among the most efficient types of water turbines. It was invented by Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to its weight like traditional overshot water wheel...
for its time was built for the mine. The North Star Mine Company also owned locations on Weimar Hill, adjoining and south of the North Star Mine. It shut down during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
after its consolidation with the Empire Mine
Empire Mine State Historic Park
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a state-protected mine and park in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Grass Valley, California. The Empire Mine is on the National Register of Historic Places and a federal Historic District. Since 1975, California State Parks has administered and maintained the mine...
.
Geography
The mine is located by Wolf Creek, on Auburn Road, a mile west of the Empire Mine. It is approximately 65 acres (26.3 ha) in size and situated in a southerly direction, the north boundary of the North Star being at an average distance of 430 feet (131.1 m) southerly from the Irish-American Mine . Within the surface boundaries of the North Star, there is a ledge of rock known as the "North Star Ledge", its top or apex wholly within the surface boundaries.History
The Lafayette ledge by Wolf Creek was worked since 1851, and was pronounced by the State Geologist in 1855 as being one of the best-producing for quartz mining in California. It was discovered during the time of the California Gold Rush by a group of men, principally Frenchman, who named their company, the "Helvetia and Lafayette Company". It changed hands in 1855, and again in 1857 (or 1860) when it was purchased under a forced sale for US$15,000. At the same time the name was changed to the "North Star." In the 1860s, reserves were estimated to be not less than thirty thousand tons, worth in the aggregate of $900,000.Competition between Grass Valley Gold District's 95 mines was fierce, forcing them to open, close, and re-open at various times. Each was concerned with power sources to extract the gold. Many, like the North Star, used wood-fired engines to generate steam, depending on the surrounding forest for firewood. The North Star Mine was Grass Valley Gold District's deepest mine, measuring 4000 feet (1,219.2 m) vertical depth.
In 1895, Foote settled in Grass Valley, having been hired to design and construct an electric-generating plant for the mine. At the North Star Mine Powerhouse
North Star Mine Powerhouse
The North Star Mine Powerhouse is located at the North Star Mine in Grass Valley, California, USA. When the mining operations expanded subsequent to the California Gold Rush, the powerhouse was added. In 1895, it became the site of the largest tangential water wheel in the world...
, he installed the largest operating Pelton water wheel to that date; it was the largest tangent
Tangent
In geometry, the tangent line to a plane curve at a given point is the straight line that "just touches" the curve at that point. More precisely, a straight line is said to be a tangent of a curve at a point on the curve if the line passes through the point on the curve and has slope where f...
ial water wheel
Water turbine
A water turbine is a rotary engine that takes energy from moving water.Water turbines were developed in the 19th century and were widely used for industrial power prior to electrical grids. Now they are mostly used for electric power generation. They harness a clean and renewable energy...
in the world. The powerhouse is a designated 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:...
. In 1905, Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan
Julia Morgan was an American architect. The architect of over 700 buildings in California, she is best known for her work on Hearst Castle in San Simeon, California...
designed a mansion for Foote and his wife, the illustrator and writer 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 North Star House
North Star House (Grass Valley, California)
North Star House is a house located roughly a mile south of Grass Valley, Nevada County, northern California. The building served as the superintendent's house for the North Star Mine...
was 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...
in 2011.
In 1911, with his partners, Foote purchased the Tightner Mine in Alleghany, California
Alleghany, California
Alleghany is a small census-designated place in Sierra County, California, United States in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It is situated in the Gold Country and continues to be a significant locale for gold mining. The famous Sixteen-to-One Mine has been in operation since the days of the...
. Two years later, in 1913, he designed and built Foote's Crossing Road
Foote's Crossing Road
Foote's Crossing Road originates in North Columbia, California and winds through the Tahoe National Forest to connect with the community of Alleghany, California. It is a Registered Historic Place....
along the Middle Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
to improve transportation between the two mines; the road became a 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...
landmark.
Foote's son, Arthur Burling Foote, who started at the North Star as an assistant, went on to become the mine's manager after his father's retirement in 1913. In 1918, the North Star brought suit against the Empire Mine for underground encroachment upon its claim, but the boundaries were resolved, and the matter never went to trial. By 1928, the North Star's total output value was approximately $33 million. The following year, Newmont Mining Corporation purchased the Empire Mine and the North Star Mine, consolidating them to become Empire-Star Mines, Ltd. The Empire-Star was forced to shut down by the U.S. War Production Board during World War II.
Miners
Superintendents and administrators included William H. Rodda (later of the Norambagua Mine), John C. Coleman (who was also president of the Nevada County Narrow Gauge RailroadNevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad
The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad was located in Northern California's Nevada County and Placer County, where it connected with the Central Pacific Railroad. The Nevada County Narrow Gauge Railroad Company incorporated on April 4, 1874, and was headquartered in Grass Valley, California...
), his brother, Edward Coleman, and Arthur De Wint Foote
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...
. Its early owners were all miners such John Coleman, Edward Colman (John's brother), William H. Rodda, Josiah Rodda, John Rodda, William Kitto, William Hoskin, William H. Thomas, James Dods and John Harper. The mine and mill employed over seventy men. Three-quarters of them had emigrated here from Cornwall
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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where they had worked in the depressed tin mines. These Cornish miners introduced the Cornish pump and the Cornish pastie
Pasty
A pasty , sometimes known as a pastie or British pasty in the United States, is a filled pastry case, associated in particular with Cornwall in Great Britain. It is made by placing the uncooked filling on a flat pastry circle, and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge at the side or top...
to the area.
Operations
The North Star vein has an east and west course, with a dip of about twenty-three degrees to the north. This mine was opened by an incline shaft sunk on the course of the vein to a depth of nearly 700 feet (213.4 m). The lowest perpendicular depth attained was approximately 300 feet (91.4 m). It was opened by seven levels. The vein varied in thickness from a few inches to 4–5 ft (1.2–1.5 ), with an average of about 2 foot (0.6096 m). The explorations in the fifth level extended about 700 feet (213.4 m) east of the shaft. The total known extent was estimated at 1000 feet (304.8 m). The lower level was driven 550 feet (167.6 m) east of the shaft. Above the three lower levels, the ground is virgin to surface, and little was extracted from the two next to the bottom. The ore was raised by tram wagons on the incline, with a wire rope. The vein was enclosed in greenstoneGreenstone
Pounamu is several types of hard, durable and highly valued nephrite jade, bowenite, or serpentinite found in New Zealand. Pounamu is the Māori name. The rocks are also generically known as "greenstone" in New Zealand English....
. A vertical hoisting and ventilation shaft was sunk 800 feet (243.8 m) east of the incline. This shaft was set to cut the mine on the level of the fourth gallery. The shoots of ore in this ground have an easterly pitch. The ore has had a gradually increasing tenor of gold.
The North Star Mine Company owned 2100 feet (640.1 m) upon the course of the lode. Between 1861-1865, the net returns were approximately $500,000, about one-fourth of which was expended in permanent improvements on the property. These included the drain tunnel, half a mile long, which was the most considerable item, and a new mill of sixteen stamps. About $375,000 of the net savings were returned to the owners in dividends, obtained from the use of a six stamp mill during 1862-63, which was subsequently enlarged. The returns for the year 1866 were $315,000, derived from the crushing of 6,000 tons of ore. The ores of this mine are considerably sulphuretted, but the value of the sulphurets in gold was much less than in the nearby Eureka Mine. The North Star did not possess chlorination works, but dressed their tailings by hand rockers for sale. The ores showed free gold, often in very fine masses, implanted in quartz, which resembles that of the nearby Rocky Bar Mine and Massachusetts Hill Mine.
The sixteen stamp mill, erected in 1866, had a capacity of crushing about two tons to the stamp daily. The water in this mine was light, a supply for the use of the amalgamation works being derived from a neighboring ditch company. This circumstance, as well as the low angle of the dip of the vein, favored very greatly the economy of development of the North Star to a great depth.