Mining in the Okanogan

Around 1886 in north central Washington State the government took back more territory promised the Native Americans and opened the Moses Indian Reservation to immigrants. Advertisements particularly touted the possibility of great wealth to be had from mining -- quartz, gold, silver and minerals.

The book, MINING IN THE OKANOGAN, traces the history of mining and miners who came to the region to enrich themselves from the Columbia River, up the Methow and Okanogan Rivers and into the lower part of British Columbia. Through a compilation of documented articles, maps, and photos the disparate groups of miners' lives are revealed. Cities, like Ruby City and Golden, grew and died when the mines and placer mining were no longer profitable.

In all the boom lasted about a decade. As one miner described in a letter to his wife:  " As to gold digging, I am sorry to acknowledge, what everyone else here does, that I have been humbugged. Gold is not as plentiful as we were made to believe, and it is ten times harder to get it than anyone could have imagined."

This book is available in the store on this website's main menu under STORE.