The yankee fork gold dredge is one of the best preserved and presented dredges in the lower 48 states. There is a small gift shop aboard the dredge to help keep it open to the public. This impressive piece of mining history is under the ownership of the united states forest service. Gold dredge, klondike river, canada, 1915 the yankee fork dredge near bonanza city, idaho, which operated into the 1950s. Today, it has been restored to the point that tours are available for those who are interested. This book, clearly the product of years of painstaking research, offers a treasure trove of information about the gem states fascinating, but now largely forgotten, history of gold dredge mining. Leave time to stop at the yankee fork gold dredge on the way. Travel through history in the land of the yankee fork visit. But one behemoth piece of history has been capturing visitors attention for decades.
Reclamation does its part to preserve history at the yankee fork gold dredge in idaho. Gold dredge on the yankee fork paperback january 1, 1983 by jr. It was powered by two 350 horse ingersollrand, 7 cylinder diesel engines, burning 400 to 500 gallons of fuel a day. The gold dredge is the same concept but on a much larger scale.
Jimmy emerson, dvmflickr in 1940, the dredge was built by milwaukeebased bucyrus erie, with every ounce of material hauled crosscountry to mackay. Sunbeam, id yankee fork gold dredge roadside america. Gold encouraged people to make their first trips out to the unknown west where they began the long and brutal search. View all hotels near yankee fork gold dredge on tripadvisor. A history of gold dredging in idahotells the story of a revolution in placer miningand its subsequent impact on the state of idahofrom its inception in the early 1880s until its demise in the early 1960s. But it may also limit access for migrating salmon to the rivers pristine upper reaches. But it may also limit access for migrating salmon to. Turn of off highway 75 at sunbeam on the route between stanley and challis and follow the gravel road nine miles. It is a historical state monument now, once owned by simplot. While in the area, be sure to visit the nearby gold mining ghost towns of bonanza city and. Nov 25, 2019 gold dredge, klondike river, canada, 1915 the yankee fork dredge near bonanza city, idaho, which operated into the 1950s. Land of yankee fork has several interesting historical sites including the challis bison kill site, the ghost towns of custer, bayhorse and bonanza and the yankee fork gold dredge. Yankee fork gold dredge museum finder, guide, radio, tech. Much farther east and north of the stanley basin and the yankee fork, before the salmon.
A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and. It is close to the historical yankee fork gold dredge, bonanza, custer mining town. Land of the yankee fork state park is a historyoriented public recreation area covering 521. Gold dredges are an important tool of gold miners around the world. Clark c spence a revolution in placer mining from inception in the 1880s until its demise in the 1960s and its impact on idaho, the nations fourth leading producer of dredged gold which provides a lens through. Dec 03, 2010 the yankee fork gold dredge is one of the mining attractions along idahos yankee fork river, between bonanza city and custer. It dredged tons of gold out of the stream beds of idaho back at the turn of the century. While in idaho, visit a gold dredge machine at the yankee fork. Representatives of a multidisciplinary team working to rebuild spring chinook salmon and steelhead runs in the yankee fork of the salmon river reported on their progress repairing the damage done by decades of dredge mining. A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods. The lower section of the yankee fork is now too shallow, and lacks habitat diversity for fish. May 07, 2012 while in idaho, visit a gold dredge machine at the yankee fork. The yankee fork gold dredge remains the largest selfpowered dredge ever to operate in idaho.
It is located in the heart of beautiful yankee fork country in stanley, idaho. This video is from a recent visit we made to the yankee fork gold dredge outside stanley, idaho. Idaho was the nations fourthleading producer of dredged gold after 1910 and therefore provides an excellent lens through which to observe. However, in 1979, the yankee fork gold dredge association was formed by. It is close to the historical yankee fork gold dredge, bonanza, custer mining town, and the salmon river. Yankee fork gold dredge and tailing piles by osbod007 ive been looking at the spec. The yankee fork gold dredge operated into the 1950s, near custer.
They allow profitable mining at relatively low operational costs. When we first visited the area in the 1970s, it was a closed relic. The authors story is first hand, interesting and genuine. A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel. Visit yankee fork gold dredge on your trip to stanley or. When a traveler builds a plan from this page, the itinerary automatically includes yankee fork gold dredge. Reclamation does its part to preserve history at the yankee. Yankee fork gold dredge and tailing piles detector.
The yankee fork dredge near bonanza city, idaho, which operated into the 1950s. Endangered salmon face insurmountable journey back to idahos. Even though the concept is simple in principle, dredges can be engineered in different ways allowing to catch different sizes of gold specimen. Sep 01, 2016 a trip to the land of the yankee fork, the historic mining region nestled between stanley and challis, is unforgettable. Hop in the car for a daylong journey to explore stage stops along an old toll road, mining ghost towns, and a 988ton dredge. The gold classifier of the yankee fork dredge may be for small gold. The yankee fork gold dredge is open memorial day 10am to 4. This article needs additional citations for verification. The yankee fork gold dredge is one of the best preserved and presented dredges in. The yankee fork gold dredge is located in the central mountains of idaho on the yankee fork tributary of the salmon river.
Like many districts the yankee fork district was worked right up until world war ii. Land of the yankee fork state park is a historyoriented public recreation area covering 521 acres 211 ha in custer county, idaho, united states. Billy reed, a volunteer with the yankee fork gold dredge association, said the dredge brought 35 temporary jobs to the area during the fivemonth period when the. In its heyday, the dredge was considered very efficient and was powered by two 7cylinder diesel engines that produced the electricity to operate the dredge. Simplot in 1966, and in 1980 the yankee fork gold dredge association began providing guided tours to the public. Project muse promotes the creation and dissemination of essential humanities and social science resources through collaboration with libraries, publishers, and scholars worldwide. Almost every summer and winter activity you can think of is available on the yankee fork. Yankee fork gold dredge stanley 2020 all you need to know. A special cooperative project between the idaho humanities. In his classic book, gold camps and silver cities, merle wells picks up the story. The state park interprets idahos frontier mining history, including the ghost towns bayhorse, bonanza, and custer. The interpretive center near challis has a museum and gold panning station. The council got a history lesson at its september meeting in eagle, idaho.
A look into the history of the yankee fork dredge stanley news. A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods the original gold dredges were large, multistory machines built in the first half of the 1900s. A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods the original gold dredges were large, multistory machines built. Billy reed, a volunteer with the yankee fork gold dredge association, said the dredge brought 35 temporary jobs to the area during the fivemonth period when the dredge was constructed. Aug 30, 2016 this video is from a recent visit we made to the yankee fork gold dredge outside stanley, idaho. Built in 1940 by the bucyruserie company, the dredge ran for 12 years before being buried and abandoned in its current location. See more ideas about gold, placer gold and the last giant. The yankee fork gold dredge association inc guidestar profile.
Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. And now there are three different entities fixing up the river so that it is running in its original location. It is a grayish monster languishing in its final resting place, a mechanical dinosaur idling in a perpetual pond, now serving only as a fascinating curiosity for tourists. Yankee fork gold mining idahos best preserved dredge. Balancing act the yankee fork of the salmon river video. A look into the history of the yankee fork dredge stanley. At the interpretive center in challis there are museum exhibits, a gold panning station, audiovisual programs, and friendly personnel to provide information on local mining history and area attractions. The huge gold dredge is actually a threestory barge in the middle of the wilderness. The dredge and tailings represent an important chapter in idahos history, a period of time that changed the natural characteristics of the river. A history of gold dredging in idahotells the story of a revolution in placer mining and its. The towns of custer and bonanza sprung up, and mining continued for many years.
A trip to the land of the yankee fork, the historic mining region nestled between stanley and challis, is unforgettable. The yankee fork dredge is probably the bestpreserved machine of its kind in the lower 48. The history of stanley, idaho is one of patience, bravery, cold winters, and most of all, gold. Visiting the yankee fork gold dredge early idaho history duration. Yankee fork road bonanza, custer page 2 legends of america.
One place in particular is the yankee fork gold dredge, about 20 miles north of stanley past the sunbeam village. Currently located at her final resting place, just north of fairbanks, dredge no. Yankee fork mining district yankee fork, id gold dredge. Yankee fork mining district yankee fork, id dredge. Also of interest are the ghost towns of bonanza and custer, the yankee fork gold dredge, the custer motorway and the challis bison jump. The yankee fork gold dredge is one of the mining attractions along idahos yankee fork river, between bonanza city and custer. The yankee fork gold dredge association inc quick facts. It is sure to be a muchvalued resource for mining, western, and idaho historians, and history buffs, for many years to come. Forged from a partnership between a university press and a library, project muse is a trusted part of the academic and scholarly community it.
The columbia river was brown from all the sediment it churned up. Oct 10, 2008 the word behemoth is insufficient to describe the giant yankee fork gold dredge. This is a great way for travelers looking for a great vacation in your city or country to also experience yankee fork gold dredge. Promoting your link also lets your audience know that you are featured on a rapidly growing travel site. The word behemoth is insufficient to describe the giant yankee fork gold dredge. Jan, 2017 but one behemoth piece of history has been capturing visitors attention for decades. The yankee fork gold dredge in idaho is truly one of a kind. Yankee fork gold dredge, custer county, idaho, july 28, 2010 composite image from three pentax k10d photos using autostitch in the early 1930s several placer miners joined together. Land of the yankee fork state park is a history oriented public recreation area covering 521 acres 211 ha in custer county, idaho, united states. Sorry, there are no tours or activities available to book. Yankee fork gold dredge mined gold 1940 through 1952 in 1966 was given to the usfs 1980 the yankee fork gold dredge association was.
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