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Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets

Empire Mine State Historic Park (PH 8-12)(June 1976) (12 pages)

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NEWMONT MINING CORPORATION THIS GOLDEN AGE OF THE EMPIRE MINE DREW TO A CLOSE IN 1929 WHEN WILLIAM B. BOURN, JR. WITH FAILING HEALTH AND INTEREST, SOLD THE MINE TO THE NEWMONT MINING CORPORATION OF NEW YORK FOR $250,000. ALTHOUGH A REAL BARGAIN, MANY NEWMONT OFFICIALS FELT AS DID OTHER EXPERTS IN YEARS PAST THAT THE EMPIRE WAS WORKED OUT AND UNPROFITABLE. THEY WERE WRONG. A CONSOLIDATION WITH THE NEARBY NORTH STAR MINE PROVIDED AN EFFICIENT OPERATION THAT WOULD PAY HANDSOMELY DURING THE GREAT DEPRESSION. WHILE MANY PEOPLE AND COMPANIES SUFFERED IN THE 1930'S, THE EMPIRE MINE AND THE PEOPLE OF THE GRASS VALLEY AREA DID NOT. IN FACT, FURTHER EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE MINE OCCURRED. THE GOLD STANDARD PROSPERITY CONTINUED RIGHT UP UNTIL WORLD WAR II, WHEN THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD ORDERED GOLD MINING TO CEASE UNDER ORDER L~-208. WHILE THE EMPIRE MINE WAS PERMITTED A 100150 MAN MAINTENANCE CREW FOR THE DURATION, THE MINE NEVER FULLY RECOVERED. IN FACT, INCREASES IN LABOR COSTS, MACHINERY AND MATERIAL COSTS, UTILITY COSTS AND TAILINGS DISPOSAL PLUS GOLD FIXED AT $35 PER OUNCE BY THE U.S, GOVERNMENT BROUGHT THE EMPIRE TO ITS FINAL CHAPTER; CLOSURE IN 1956. AT THE TIME OF ITS CLOSURE WELL OVER 350 MILES OF fe MINE TUNNELS AT A DEPTH OF 12,250 FEET ON T E INCLINE COVER A MILE DEEP) HAD BEEN DEVELOPE AND APPROXIMATELY $120 MILLION DOLLARS IN SOLD HAD BEEN MINED. MUCH OF THE mq aNOPHULEE LN NING EQUIPMENT MATERIAL WAS LIQUIDATED AT AUCTIONS a THE ENSUING YEARS LEAVING BUT A REMNANT 0 EMPIRE MINE'S MAGNIFICENT PAST.