The Three Sisters Mine

Situated upon Dutch Gulch near the townsite of French Gulch is the Three Sisters mine, a gold mine which was located during the year 1894 in the boundaries of the French Gulch Mining District of Shasta County, California. Historical records relate that this mining property contains a main haulage tunnel of an adit which measures to 1,350 feet and contains 800 feet of drifts, and an open shaft also known as a winze measuring at 120 feet, including a stope of 200 feet as well. Production notes for this mine states it was a lucrative producer of gold, yet the following minerals were also found on this mining property as well: arsenopyrite, pyrite and quartz. This mine has gone through various ownerships and bonds (or leases) through the years. 

The mine was owned and operated by Elias Ellery and his brother James Ellery. Production at this historic mining property ended in 1906. Presently, one of the adits on the property that Ryan and I found is covered in thorn-thick vines and is hard to get into, but it’s flooded with clear water. Water drains from the portal of the adit. Nearby this flooded adit are a couple of prospects with small tailings and a massive tailings pile which can be viewed from the main road looking up the ridge line of the gulch, but we couldn’t find the adit this waste rock came out of suggesting it may have been taken out or collapsed. On the property there is a squared stone structure of a small four corner building mixed with mortar as well. This is where my friend Ryan found a lonely square nail after shifting through the rock on the land near this stone structure. In one mine we found the bones of a dead animal as well. Filmed on location on November 17, 2023.

RESOURCES:

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 2, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 16, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, April 30, 1895

French Gulch Gleanings - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 3, 1896

Trouble About A Mine - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 12, 1896

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, September 29, 1896

The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, February 2, 1897

Mines and Miners - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 31, 1897

Successful Mining Lease - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 2, 1897

Mines and Mining - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, May 17, 1898

Ore From French Gulch - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, August 13, 1898

Proofs Of Labor - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 24, 1898

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 8, 1899

Miners Who Have Done Work - The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 3, 1901

OLD DIGGINGS MINING DISTRICT ABANDONED GOLD MINE PART 2

My return to this abandoned gold mine in the Old Diggings Mining District of Shasta County, California, only to find it being a twenty-five to thirty feet adit. I returned with my friends James, Ryan and Robert. Join us on this mine exploration which was filmed off the beaten path near Flanagan Trail off Flanagan Road which has been hidden for years along this trail system. The only thing known about it is that it's located in the boundaries of the Old Diggings Mining District of Shasta County and was mined for gold. Filmed on location November 4, 2023.

THE M.A. BURNS LUMBER COMPANY RAILROAD BOILER AT CASTLE CRAGS STATE PARK

A follow up to the M.A. Burns Lumber Company abandoned railroad 36' narrow gauge video that I filmed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHb14... with Robert Frazier of California Unearthed. The subject focuses on a boiler which was found along the railroad grade by state park staff in 1994.

WALKER MINE -STAMP MILL AND OPEN SHAFT MINE-

In this episode of Exploring Shasta County History, I invite you to come explore the history of the historic Walker mine which gave its name to Walker Mine Road in Redding and the nearby Walker Mine Trailhead. Today, there are a few reminders that this one-time famous lucrative producer of gold and copper even existed. Join Robert Frazier, host of California Unearthed, and I as we tour its remaining ten stamp mill and an astonishing open mine shaft which was connected to the Walker brother holdings. Originally, called the Josephine and Providence mine, it wasn't until 1888 when this mining property was purchased by the Walker brothers of Salt Lake City, Utah, who were well-known millionaire bankers of that locality and had an interest in the mining industry of the western United States. They changed the name of this mine to the California and Utah mine that year. Since then, numerous people have bonded or leased the mine from them and have purchased the mine to operate it. Commonly known as the Walker mine or the Walker Group of Mines it has been idled since 1941. Filmed on location on October 21, 2023.

RESOURCES:

McGregor, A. ©1890, Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, Shasta Counties: California Mining Bureau. Report 10

Crawford, James John ©1894, Twelfth report of the State Mineralogist: California Mining Bureau. Report 12

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 23, 1896 

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, June 25, 1896

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1897

The Walker Mine - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 7, 1898

The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, December 14, 1899

May Sale Walker Mine - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, September 6, 1900

Walker Mine May Soon Be Transferred - The Daily Free Press newspaper of Redding, November 23, 1900

Will Ship Ore to Kennett Smelter - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, August 13, 1905

Notes From Shasta's Gold-Quartz Mines - The Courier Free Press newspaper of Redding, July 21, 1909

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Walker Mines in Old Diggings Have Been Sold - The Courier Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 11, 1929

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 9, 1931

Walker Mining Group Transfer Recorded - The Searchlight newspaper of Redding, March 9, 1939

The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 4, 1932

Trinity River Water to Be Used in Mining Plan; Walker Mine to Reopen - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, May 25, 1932

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, California – County Report 6 – by Philip A. Lydon and J.C. O’ Brien ©1974 by California Division of Mines and Geology

UPDATE: FINDING A SECONDARY MINE SHAFT AT THE MOUNT SHASTA MINE.

Filmed on location.

My last visit to this mine was in 2020 and on October 21, 2023, I returned to the Mount Shasta Mine in the Whiskeytown National Recreation Area and is part of the Shasta Mining District. This site dates to 1897. Upon my return to the site, I found some familiar things like the old tailing/waste rock piles, a prospect, an adit, foundations of its stamp mill and the known incline shaft that's fenced off by the park service. However, I was least expecting to find something new...

What surprised me was locating a secondary vertical shaft on top of the main haulage tunnel of the adit. Possibly, it could be a raise as well from inside the main haulage tunnel which are practically the same thing, however it was a shock to me to find this plugged shaft. The known incline shaft has a fence around it and is right next to the trail with water in the incline shaft. While the new shaft is plugged at this historic mining site. I'm hoping to explore more of the area soon.

RESOURCES:

Mining and Scientific Press, 75 no. 18 (October 1897)

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, October 14, 1899

The Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 22, 1900

Mount Shasta Mine Sold and Paid For - The Courier Free-Press newspaper of Redding, February 16, 1912

Mount Shasta Mine Sold to H.O. Cummins - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 22, 1913

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Historic Resource Study Whiskeytown National Recreation Area by Anna Coxe Toogood, May 1978, Denver Service Center, Historic Preservation Team, National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior

The Mount Shasta Mine: A Gold Mine on the Mt. Shasta Mine Loop Trail written by Jeremy M. Tuggle, September 16, 2020

THE MOUNT SHASTA MINE OF THE SHASTA MINING DISTRICT

The Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway Part 2

This episode of Exploring Shasta County History focusses on the Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway also known as the Hornet Mine to Matheson Tramway. It was built by the Mountain Copper Company LTD., in 1921, and this tram line was extended to the Richmond Mine in 1953. This site is located on BLM land most of it along OHV Trail No. 4. To find out more about this aerial tramway view the video. Filmed on location October 15, 2023. This site is located near the Shasta Chappie OHV Staging Area. OHV is higly recommended on this route or hike it like we did. 

Resources: 

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Aerial Tramway To Be Built By Copper Company - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 30, 1921

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, California – County Report 6 – by Philip A. Lydon and J.C. O’ Brien ©1974 by California Division of Mines and Geology

The Richmond Mine Aerial Tramway

Filmed on location.

Resources: 

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, Siskiyou County, and Trinity County, by G. Chester Brown, ©1915 published by California State Printing Office.

Aerial Tramway To Be Built By Copper Company - The Sacramento Daily Union newspaper of Sacramento, April 30, 1921

Mines and Mineral Resources of Shasta County, California – County Report 6 – by Philip A. Lydon and J.C. O’ Brien ©1974 by California Division of Mines and Geology