Gold Mining

Gold was discovered along the Trinity River in 1848.  This began the Trinity Alps gold rush.

The primary method of mining in 1848 was placer mining, sifting through loose deposits to find gold ore.  Evidence of placer mining can be found along most of the waterways in Trinity County, including many areas along the Trinity River that still contain piles of tailings.  Tailings are mining waste, the rocks that are left after the gold is extracted.

Hydraulic mining began around 1861 in Trinity County.  “Giants,” large water cannons also called “monitors,” were introduced in 1870.  The first dredge in the county began operation in 1895.  A gold dredge is a mining machine that extracts gold from sediment under the water.

The La Grange Mine, the world’s largest hydraulic mine, began operation in 1898.