North Star Mine Powerhouse
Encyclopedia
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 tangent
ial water wheel
in the world. Situated by Wolf Creek, a mile west of the Empire Mine
, the powerhouse is a designated California Historical Landmark
, and has been turned into the North Star Mine and Powerhouse & Pelton Wheel Museum.
brought a strange machine to the Miners Foundry
in nearby Nevada City
. The Pelton wheel
, about the size of a car tire and referred to as "Wheel One", was put on display for mine owners. It used cups on a wheel to draw water and harness power. Running out of trees to burn, the North Star decided to switch to hydraulic power, and Arthur De Wint Foote
designed the 30 feet (9.1 m) wheel which drove four new compressor
s that delivered 90 pounds (40.8 kg) of air pressure for 2000 feet (609.6 m) to the mine's central shaft. For his ingenuity, Foote was made the North Star's superintendent.
The powerhouse is now a museum. The New Verde Mining Company donated an acre of land and the remains of the old power house. The wheel was saved from the scrap heap by a Grass Valley resident who raised $2,000 to purchase the wheel and donated it to the Historical Society.
North Star Mine
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...
in 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. When the mining operations expanded subsequent to 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 powerhouse was added. In 1895, it became the site of 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. Situated by Wolf Creek, a mile west of 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...
, 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:...
, and has been turned into the North Star Mine and Powerhouse & Pelton Wheel Museum.
History
In 1878, Lester Pelton of CamptonvilleCamptonville, California
Camptonville is a small town and census-designated place located in northeastern Yuba County, California. The town is located northeast of Marysville, off Highway 49 between Downieville and Nevada City. It is located on a ridge between the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Yuba River, not far...
brought a strange machine to the Miners Foundry
Miners Foundry
The Miners Foundry is located at 325 Spring Street, Nevada City, California, USA...
in nearby Nevada City
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,...
. The 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...
, about the size of a car tire and referred to as "Wheel One", was put on display for mine owners. It used cups on a wheel to draw water and harness power. Running out of trees to burn, the North Star decided to switch to hydraulic power, 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...
designed the 30 feet (9.1 m) wheel which drove four new compressor
Gas compressor
A gas compressor is a mechanical device that increases the pressure of a gas by reducing its volume.Compressors are similar to pumps: both increase the pressure on a fluid and both can transport the fluid through a pipe. As gases are compressible, the compressor also reduces the volume of a gas...
s that delivered 90 pounds (40.8 kg) of air pressure for 2000 feet (609.6 m) to the mine's central shaft. For his ingenuity, Foote was made the North Star's superintendent.
The powerhouse is now a museum. The New Verde Mining Company donated an acre of land and the remains of the old power house. The wheel was saved from the scrap heap by a Grass Valley resident who raised $2,000 to purchase the wheel and donated it to the Historical Society.
Landmark
The plaque's inscription reads:
NORTH STAR MINE POWERHOUSE
The North Star Powerhouse, built by A. D. Foote in 1895, was the first complete plant of its kind. Compressed air, generated by Pelton water wheelsPelton wheelThe 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...
, furnished power for the entire mine operation. The 30-foot Pelton wheel was the largest in the world, and was in continuous use for over 30 years.
Plaque placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Nevada CountyNevada County, CaliforniaNevada 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....
Historical Society 15 May 1971.