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Collection: Directories and Documents > Pamphlets
History of the Empire Mine by Nevada County Historical Society (PH 2-5b) (1968) (29 pages)
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Page: of 29
A HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE MINE AT GRASS VALLEY
Located in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
at an elevation of 2,500 feet, is the small Nevada County mining town
of Grass Valley. Today it is a quiet, peaceful town that still teems with
activity along its narrow streets, but nearby is visible evidence of better
days gone by. To the south and southeast of the town can be seen the
closed gold-quartz mines that helped to make this small community
world famous and nourished its growth from 1850 down to the late
1950's. Just southeast of the town, on “Ophir Hill,” can be seen what
remains of the surface structures of the Empire Mine. The history of
Grass Valley is intimately linked to that of the Empire Mine. The
Empire Mine operated rather continuously from 1850 to 1956, becoming one of the richest producing and deepest mines in California
and the state’s most famous gold-quartz mine.
In 1849, a band of emigrants were searching for their cattle that
had left the campsite. The cattle were later discovered contently grazing
in a “grass valley” that was supplied with water from nearby springs.
Grass Valley’s present name is derived from the early name of “grassy
valley” that was applied to the area.
Grass Valley earned its early fame and later prosperity from the
fact that it was the site of the discovery of gold-quartz in California.
Bancroft states: “The first recognized discovery of auriferous ore was
made in June 1850 at Grass Valley, which, by opening the first mill
(stamp mill) became the initial point in California for a new era in
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