In 2002, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology targeted the historic Bassick Mine, near Westcliffe, for environmental clean-up. As one of Colorado’s richest, deepest, and most advanced gold mines for its time (1877-1885), the Bassick was so large that it directly supported the adjacent town of Querida. The Bassick Mining Company built a mill to treat gold ore, fluming the tailings into an adjacent creek for disposal. Proposed tailings removal would impact the mine and change the surrounding historic landscape.
Because the site is a historic mine, the proposed clean-up invoked Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Mountain States Historical’s assessment of this complex archaeological site included:
- Defining the project area with environmental specialists and assessing how clean-up would impact the site.
- Extensive archival research, gathering key historic information.
- Thoroughly documenting the site’s archaeological remains.
- Providing value-added content in the report, including an extensive site history and interpretation of the archaeological remnants.
- Assessing eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places in compliance with Section 106.
Mountain States Historical found the site eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), and the BLM concurred. But because the environmental clean-up threatened the site, cultural resource mitigation was required to offset the loss. We were instrumental in devising a mitigation plan not only meeting requirements, but also contributing to the field of Colorado history. In the two-fold plan:
- We documented the historic townsite of Querida, assessing significance according to the NRHP, and producing an interpretive report. This process set local precedent as Querida was the first townsite in the region to be recorded and interpreted. Further, the report was a platform for interpreting mining camp life through archaeologcial analysis.
- We produced a detailed, multi-use guide, or context, for understanding and evaluating abandoned mines around Westcliffe, Silver Cliff, and Rosita. The guide offers the only thorough history of encompassing Hardscrabble Mining District, among Colorado’s important mining centers.
(Photo: Overview of the Bassick Mine, CO)