Riches to Rust
A Guide to Mining in the Old West
Have you ever found yourself examining an abandoned mine and wondered how it
operated? Or what the old pieces of
equipment, artifacts, and foundations were for? You
will find complete explanations in Riches
to Rust, which was written for the general public in an easy-to-read and
accessible fashion. Specifically,
the book offers a detailed insight into the surface facilities that made mines
and deep prospects function, how they evolved over time, and the archaeological
remnants that visitors are likely to encounter today.
Author Eric Twitty based the heavily illustrated work on a combination of
archival research and archaeological studies for an objective discussion of how
mines were really arranged. To make
the book useful in the field, Mr. Twitty guides the reader in how to identify
and interpret archaeological features and artifacts and reconstruct what a
mine’s surface facilities consisted of, and how to extract meaning from the
sites. Riches
to Rust is the first publication of its kind to grapple with this complex
and important aspect of mining history, and was awarded
First Place
for Nonfiction by the Colorado Independent Publishers’ Association.
Published by Western Reflections Publishing Company.
Blown to Bits in the Mine
A History of Mining & Explosives in the United
States
It can be argued that the process of blasting was one of the most important
and fundamental aspects of mining and quarrying, and that most other activities
revolved around blasting. Further,
the use of explosives revolutionized mining and quarrying and allowed these
industries to supply the immense volumes of natural resources that made the
United States
an economic powerhouse. But how did
miners actually carry out the process of blasting?
What were the explosives like, and how did they change the miners’
workplace? As the title suggests, Blown to Bits in the Mine discusses the hazards and dangers that
miners faced when working with explosives, as well as the benefits and the very
art of blasting. The book charts the
evolution of the process from early hand-drilling and black powder to the use of
rapid power drills and specialized explosive agents in coal, hardrock, and
open-pit mines, and quarries. Author
Eric Twitty combined archaeological investigations in underground mine workings
with traditional archival research for this gritty, hands-on perspective, which
was awarded Second Place for Nonfiction by the Colorado Independent
Publishers’ Association.
Published by Western Reflections Publishing Company.
Basins of Silver: The Story of Silverton’s Las
Animas Mining District, Colorado
Pikes Peak Gold Rush prospector
Charles Baker was decades ahead of his time when, before the far reaches of
Colorado had been explored, he postulated that a great mineral belt stretched
through the territory. Based on his
observations of the distribution of
Colorado
’s goldfields as they were known in 1860, Baker convinced other prospectors
that more gold lay to the southwest. Later
that year, the Baker party became the first prospectors to penetrate the
imposing
San Juan Mountains
and in fact found gold in what became the Las Animas Mining District.
But Baker and partners labored for a few gold flecks in a land
phenomenally rich with silver, which was not discovered until more than a decade
later. The Las Animas district
became the cradle of hardrock mining in the San Juans when prospectors realized
that the snowy peaks offered a treasure trove for those physically fit and
daring enough to try and win the ore from the cold ground.
Over time, the Las Animas district hosted a rich and powerful mining
industry colored by grouchy engineers, cunning investors, psychics, outspoken
women, and generally tough individuals. To
overcome the severe winters rife with avalanches, the hurricane force winds, and
impossible terrain, mining men used the Las Animas district as a proving ground
for a number of amazing technological innovations, some of which we enjoy today.
Basins of Silver captures the
history of the Las Animas Mining District, located at Silverton’s backdoor,
and all its characters and their attempt to profit and prosper in a climate and
terrain that can only be found in the deep San Juans.
For More Information Contact:
Mountain States Historical
3750 Darley Ave, Boulder, CO 80305
Tel: 303-499-4334
Internet: info@mountainstateshistorical.com
Mountain States
Historical 
