Ghost town advice

mnshutterbug

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Apr 16, 2017
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I found this info and was wondering if it would have good potential and if so, any advice on where to start?

Gold, gold, gold, found along the river, was the cry in the fall of 1894, however, it all turned out to be a hoax, or at least many think so. As a result, the town of Springville was born, but had a short life span of only about two years. Mining operations ended in the summer of 1896. The town site and gold mine was about a mile east of Vicksburg, on the south side of the river. No doubt some of the residents from this small village may have worked at the mining site, or a least were keeping a close eye on things. The mine shaft is filled with water and goes down about 120 feet, sitting just behind the tailings pile. On the north side of the outcropping one can see the remains of the foundation where the crusher building once stood. The small spring fled lake there is known as Gold Mine Lake, with some of the purest water in the state, as lake water goes. However, I don't think I would drink it. Just to the ne of the lake is most likely where the town once stood. It is unknown if the buildings were made of wood or if they were tents. The town had businesses related to a mining town. They consisted of a general store, livery stable, dance hall and hotel. "ladies of the night" or "dance hall girls" as they were sometimes called, would come out on the weekends from Minneapolis by train and then go by stagecoach to Springerville. This was somewhat of an inconvenience, but the nearby town would not allow "sporting women" in their town. Today the lake is used, mostly on weekends, as a local swimming hole.
 
If I were you, I'd head to the lake and maybe do some detecting in the outskirts of it, and then head in a NE direction where the town apparently once stood. But the town may have been a mile or more from the lake, so maybe you could go onto google earth/maps and find the lake and then look for any roads to the NE of the lake which you can access with a car. (Just make sure there are no national parks where you are planning to detect)

Or you can do more research about the town or head to your local museum, maybe they can tell you something about this old town. :?:

Good luck! :)
 
Cool Historical Write up! Gold Fever is really something! It is curable though...Upon Death...

Mark Twain is credited with saying..."A gold Mine is a hole in the ground with a liar on top!":laughing:

Yeah, I'd be hunting gambling and drinking locations around a gold town...the travel paths to and from such places...
 
If I were you, I'd head to the lake and maybe do some detecting in the outskirts of it, and then head in a NE direction where the town apparently once stood. But the town may have been a mile or more from the lake, so maybe you could go onto google earth/maps and find the lake and then look for any roads to the NE of the lake which you can access with a car. (Just make sure there are no national parks where you are planning to detect)

Or you can do more research about the town or head to your local museum, maybe they can tell you something about this old town. :?:

Good luck! :)

Thanks for the advise. Evidently, the town must have been situated between the lake and the river. It looks pretty wild there so I'd better be covered in permithrin before I access it to keep the ticks at bay.
 

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I did just read in a book that an amateur gold prospector was at the site 5 years ago and found a few flecks of gold. I'm glad he didn't find the nuggets. ;)
 
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