Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge
Encyclopedia
The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge is a historic gold dredge
located in Sumpter, Oregon
, United States
. The dredge was built during the gold rush
that consumed most of the western states
throughout the mid-19th century. Gold was discovered in Sumpter in 1862, but the advent of using a large machine to perform placer mining
in Sumpter Valley did not occur until 1912. Three dredges were built between 1912 and 1934.
A gold dredge works by having large buckets that pull the gold-bearing earth up into its machinery to be processed, keeping the gold and spewing the waste (known as "tailings") out the back by way of a stacker. Built on a shallow hull, these dredges did not need a lot of water to operate, as they moved their pond of water with them.
The internal mechanics were not very sophisticated—they duplicated, on a larger scale, many of the devices used by placer mining throughout the gold rush, such as the gold pan and the sluice
box. In essence, the dirt that was dug by the large electrically powered buckets was sifted and sorted, and the remainder was washed over a series of riffles allowing the gold to settle and be trapped. The primary advantages that made the dredge more efficient than other methods were the volume of earth it could process and having its own water supply. The dredge that was built in Sumpter Valley could dig over 20 buckets per minute, consuming more than seven yards of earth each minute.
Three dredges worked the valley from 1913 to 1954, after placer and lode mining had become unprofitable. Sumpter No. 3 was built substantially from parts of the first dredge, which had been idle for 10 years. Between them, the dredges traveled more than 8 miles, extracting $10 to 12 million worth of gold. Still, it cost more to run than the cold could pay for. The last dredge closed in 1954, more than $100,000 in debt. In its lifetime this dredge made 4.5 million dollars at $35.00 per troy ounce. That's 128,571.43 troy ounces which, compared to a more recent value of $1400.00 per ounce, would equal $180,000,002.00.
The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge required a three-man crew to operate the machinery and 17 more workers to complete the crew for maintenance, bookkeeping, surveying, truck driving, managing and a few other roles. The dredge operated 363 days a year; most of the men were given the Fourth of July and Christmas
day off from work. One or two men had to stay onboard to watch over the machine during the evenings. Dredge workers often reported hearing the ghost of Joe Bush
"Haunting" the dredge when the dredge was not operating due to closure or repair.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
has preserved this historic area as the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area. The park includes the Gold Dredge Gift Store and Museum, with a video featuring interviews with dredge workers, historic photos and artifacts. Tours of the dredge are provided.
Gold dredge
A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods.The original gold dredges were large, multi-story machines built in the first half of the 1900s....
located in Sumpter, Oregon
Sumpter, Oregon
Sumpter is a city in Baker County, Oregon, United States. The population was 171 at the 2000 census. Sumpter is named after Fort Sumter by its founders.- History :...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The dredge was built during the gold rush
Gold rush
A gold rush is a period of feverish migration of workers to an area that has had a dramatic discovery of gold. Major gold rushes took place in the 19th century in Australia, Brazil, Canada, South Africa, and the United States, while smaller gold rushes took place elsewhere.In the 19th and early...
that consumed most of the western states
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
throughout the mid-19th century. Gold was discovered in Sumpter in 1862, but the advent of using a large machine to perform placer mining
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
in Sumpter Valley did not occur until 1912. Three dredges were built between 1912 and 1934.
A gold dredge works by having large buckets that pull the gold-bearing earth up into its machinery to be processed, keeping the gold and spewing the waste (known as "tailings") out the back by way of a stacker. Built on a shallow hull, these dredges did not need a lot of water to operate, as they moved their pond of water with them.
The internal mechanics were not very sophisticated—they duplicated, on a larger scale, many of the devices used by placer mining throughout the gold rush, such as the gold pan and the sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
box. In essence, the dirt that was dug by the large electrically powered buckets was sifted and sorted, and the remainder was washed over a series of riffles allowing the gold to settle and be trapped. The primary advantages that made the dredge more efficient than other methods were the volume of earth it could process and having its own water supply. The dredge that was built in Sumpter Valley could dig over 20 buckets per minute, consuming more than seven yards of earth each minute.
Three dredges worked the valley from 1913 to 1954, after placer and lode mining had become unprofitable. Sumpter No. 3 was built substantially from parts of the first dredge, which had been idle for 10 years. Between them, the dredges traveled more than 8 miles, extracting $10 to 12 million worth of gold. Still, it cost more to run than the cold could pay for. The last dredge closed in 1954, more than $100,000 in debt. In its lifetime this dredge made 4.5 million dollars at $35.00 per troy ounce. That's 128,571.43 troy ounces which, compared to a more recent value of $1400.00 per ounce, would equal $180,000,002.00.
The Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge required a three-man crew to operate the machinery and 17 more workers to complete the crew for maintenance, bookkeeping, surveying, truck driving, managing and a few other roles. The dredge operated 363 days a year; most of the men were given the Fourth of July and Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day off from work. One or two men had to stay onboard to watch over the machine during the evenings. Dredge workers often reported hearing the ghost of Joe Bush
Joe Bush (ghost)
Joe Bush is the name of a ghost that allegedly haunts the Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge in Sumpter, Oregon, United States. Dredge workers working on the No. 3 dredge at Sumpter Valley often reported strange happenings involving the ghost...
"Haunting" the dredge when the dredge was not operating due to closure or repair.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department , officially known as the State Parks and Recreation Department, is the government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon which operates its system of state parks...
has preserved this historic area as the Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area. The park includes the Gold Dredge Gift Store and Museum, with a video featuring interviews with dredge workers, historic photos and artifacts. Tours of the dredge are provided.
External links
- Friends of the Dredge
- Historic Sumpter article on the dredge
- What is a dredge? at the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
- Google Maps satellite image of the valley bottom showing dredge marks