092814-013
The Ghost town of Golden, Oregon. Wild West and Goldmining. "Golden: Established in 1890, this mining town was unique in western annals in that it had two churches and no saloons. The miners went to Placer on Grave Creek for Refreshments. Rev. William Ruble, Leader of a group commonly known as "Campbellites" built the church in 1852. He was ordained and the church simultaneously dedicated by county judge stephen Jewell. Shortly afterward it became the free Methodist church. Another group led by Rev. mark Davis used the schoolhouse for their services, both ministers worked local mining claims. Placer activity on Coyote creek began in the 1850's. Abandoning these claims during the Idaho gold rush of 1860, the men returned to find them being worked by about 500 Chinese for ten cents per day plus rice. The Chinese contractor yielded possession. A 2 1/2 mile pipeline supplied water for the "Giants" (hydraulic nozzles) resulting in the recovery of one and 1/2 million dollars in the next few years. The Josephine county school superintendent Lincoln Savage, traveled by train from Grant's Pass to Wolk Creek, rode his bicycle to Golden, and continued to the greenback mine by tramway to visit the schools. Wilma Gilkey and Edith Allen were among the early teachers. As late as 1906, there were still 36 children in this school. " ~ information sign by the Josephine County Historical Society, Golden, Oregon. "At its height betwen 1900 and 1920 Golden spread across several acres. At its center stood the church, and on its right, the Rubles' beautiful fruit filled orchard. Mothers, fathers, and children walked up the church steps together many times each year, gathering for worship and encouragement in good times and bad. In the late 19th century, rough-and-ready boom towns sprang up wherever there was gold, and just as quickly faded away. Golden was different. With the Ruble elevator bringing in a consistent profit, the 1890s found Golden growing into a thriving family-centered community of more than 100 people. As more families arrived, Bill, Schuyler, and Grandpa Ruble built Golden's church and only then built the family home. The Ruble priorities were clear: faith and family came first. As long as the Rubles lived here, Golden had no saloons. If you wanted to "tip a few" you had to walk over the hill to Placer. "I loved to attend school in the new schoolhouse, and I seldom missed a day ... Most of the school teachers boarded at our house, so we got to know them real well." - Bernice Elda Ruble. " ~ Information sign at Golden, Oregon.
"Gold!" Imagine carrying just a backpack and a pick and hearing the shouts of 'Gold!' as they rang through this valley ... It's 1851. You've traveled hudreds of miles to make your fortune in California but you've heard the rumors of gold in Oregon so you turn north to the Rogue valley. Joining several other miners, you slog through the mud to Coyote Creek, find a promising spot, stick your claim marker in the ground, and get to work. If the stake is good, you'll build a shelter and settle in, but you'll only stay as long as the gold lasts. By 1860 thirty primitive cabins perched on upper Coyote Creek. Most occupants didn't stay long. They'd sell their claim, then move on to the next promising site. In spite of an Oregon law prohibiting them from owning land - including gold claims - Chinese miners did very well during the first Coyote Creek mining boom of 1862 to 1867." ~ information sign at Golden Ghost Town, Oregon. Exploring Southern Oregon: Golden - Wolf Creek - Merlin - Grant's Pass - Glendale, Oregon, USA. Photography (c) 2014 Thomas Baurley, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. "The Ruble Vision: you know there's gold, right under your feet. But without a more powerful way to extract it, your dream will die. Seventeen years after the gold rush began, miners were using creek water under high pressure to process soil and extract gold, a method called hydraulic mining. New arrival William Ruble was struck by how efficient the process was. he bought up several claims. He sent for his sons, and started to work. but the Rubles couldn't move soil fast enough to make a profit, and when creek water levels dropped in summer, they couldn't work at all. Rather than giving up and moving on the Ruble sons invented a solution: the Ruble rock elevator. William Ruble Sr. brought business savvy, inventive sons, and a deep sense of community to Coyote Creek. As the family struggled to make a profit, they also began building a town. Miners used the "giants" to push boulders, rocks, and gravel into the elevator, then looked for gold in the finer materials that came out through the side sluice box. The brothers patented their elevator in 1900. The Ruble Rock Elevator won a gold medal in the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905 and were used all over the western United States in the early years of the 20th century. "Turning back Time: If you were standing here in 1851, you could walk down a sloping hillside to a tree-lined creek. You're looking down on the place where miners once used high-pressure water to extract gold. Day after day for decades, hydraulic mining carved away at acres of topsoil up and down Coyote Creek. The process took a heavy toll on plant and animal life. Since 1993, community volunteers have invested thousands of hours, transforming the Coyote Creek mining site into a wetland preserve. Their efforts combine with the healing forces of nature to erase much of the damage done by mining. "
092814-013
The Ghost town of Golden, Oregon. Wild West and Goldmining. "Golden: Established in 1890, this mining town was unique in western annals in that it had two churches and no saloons. The miners went to Placer on Grave Creek for Refreshments. Rev. William Ruble, Leader of a group commonly known as "Campbellites" built the church in 1852. He was ordained and the church simultaneously dedicated by county judge stephen Jewell. Shortly afterward it became the free Methodist church. Another group led by Rev. mark Davis used the schoolhouse for their services, both ministers worked local mining claims. Placer activity on Coyote creek began in the 1850's. Abandoning these claims during the Idaho gold rush of 1860, the men returned to find them being worked by about 500 Chinese for ten cents per day plus rice. The Chinese contractor yielded possession. A 2 1/2 mile pipeline supplied water for the "Giants" (hydraulic nozzles) resulting in the recovery of one and 1/2 million dollars in the next few years. The Josephine county school superintendent Lincoln Savage, traveled by train from Grant's Pass to Wolk Creek, rode his bicycle to Golden, and continued to the greenback mine by tramway to visit the schools. Wilma Gilkey and Edith Allen were among the early teachers. As late as 1906, there were still 36 children in this school. " ~ information sign by the Josephine County Historical Society, Golden, Oregon. "At its height betwen 1900 and 1920 Golden spread across several acres. At its center stood the church, and on its right, the Rubles' beautiful fruit filled orchard. Mothers, fathers, and children walked up the church steps together many times each year, gathering for worship and encouragement in good times and bad. In the late 19th century, rough-and-ready boom towns sprang up wherever there was gold, and just as quickly faded away. Golden was different. With the Ruble elevator bringing in a consistent profit, the 1890s found Golden growing into a thriving family-centered community of more than 100 people. As more families arrived, Bill, Schuyler, and Grandpa Ruble built Golden's church and only then built the family home. The Ruble priorities were clear: faith and family came first. As long as the Rubles lived here, Golden had no saloons. If you wanted to "tip a few" you had to walk over the hill to Placer. "I loved to attend school in the new schoolhouse, and I seldom missed a day ... Most of the school teachers boarded at our house, so we got to know them real well." - Bernice Elda Ruble. " ~ Information sign at Golden, Oregon.
"Gold!" Imagine carrying just a backpack and a pick and hearing the shouts of 'Gold!' as they rang through this valley ... It's 1851. You've traveled hudreds of miles to make your fortune in California but you've heard the rumors of gold in Oregon so you turn north to the Rogue valley. Joining several other miners, you slog through the mud to Coyote Creek, find a promising spot, stick your claim marker in the ground, and get to work. If the stake is good, you'll build a shelter and settle in, but you'll only stay as long as the gold lasts. By 1860 thirty primitive cabins perched on upper Coyote Creek. Most occupants didn't stay long. They'd sell their claim, then move on to the next promising site. In spite of an Oregon law prohibiting them from owning land - including gold claims - Chinese miners did very well during the first Coyote Creek mining boom of 1862 to 1867." ~ information sign at Golden Ghost Town, Oregon. Exploring Southern Oregon: Golden - Wolf Creek - Merlin - Grant's Pass - Glendale, Oregon, USA. Photography (c) 2014 Thomas Baurley, Leaf McGowan, Technogypsie Productions. www.technogypsie.com/photography/. To follow the stories and tales visit www.technogypsie.com/reviews/ and www.technogypsie.com/chronicles/. "The Ruble Vision: you know there's gold, right under your feet. But without a more powerful way to extract it, your dream will die. Seventeen years after the gold rush began, miners were using creek water under high pressure to process soil and extract gold, a method called hydraulic mining. New arrival William Ruble was struck by how efficient the process was. he bought up several claims. He sent for his sons, and started to work. but the Rubles couldn't move soil fast enough to make a profit, and when creek water levels dropped in summer, they couldn't work at all. Rather than giving up and moving on the Ruble sons invented a solution: the Ruble rock elevator. William Ruble Sr. brought business savvy, inventive sons, and a deep sense of community to Coyote Creek. As the family struggled to make a profit, they also began building a town. Miners used the "giants" to push boulders, rocks, and gravel into the elevator, then looked for gold in the finer materials that came out through the side sluice box. The brothers patented their elevator in 1900. The Ruble Rock Elevator won a gold medal in the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905 and were used all over the western United States in the early years of the 20th century. "Turning back Time: If you were standing here in 1851, you could walk down a sloping hillside to a tree-lined creek. You're looking down on the place where miners once used high-pressure water to extract gold. Day after day for decades, hydraulic mining carved away at acres of topsoil up and down Coyote Creek. The process took a heavy toll on plant and animal life. Since 1993, community volunteers have invested thousands of hours, transforming the Coyote Creek mining site into a wetland preserve. Their efforts combine with the healing forces of nature to erase much of the damage done by mining. "