Ok, lets try something new. I keep seeing these hisroric markers. I take a picture and move on. I tell people about them on the phone, but that is the end. So, I was thinking, what if I posted the text from them. It should add flavior to the log and give me a chance to rest at the same time.
This time you get two for the price of one. I am on St Rt 78 about 23 miles east of Silver City, and there are 2 signs here.
“War Eagle Mines”
For a decade after 1864, most of Silver City’s fabulous wealth came from Upper War Eagle Mountain, which rises a vertical mile from here.
With lodes far richer than those found elsewhere, War Eagle miners fought a series of violent wars for control of valuable claims. Troops from Fort Boise finally had to intervene in a one-armed clash in 1868. San Francisco bank failures ended production there in 1875 and thriving camps became ghost towns.
“Diamond Gulch”
In December, 1865, Idaho’s govener — Cleb Lyon of Lyondale — set of wild rish to Diamond Gouch, visible a few miles west of here, with a story that was too good to be true.
He told miner in Silver City that a prospector had given him some some priceless diamonds from that area. Enough gems of interest to rock hounds were found there to maintain a diamond frenzy that winter. A similar excitement followed in 1892, but no actual diamonds were recovered in Diamond Gouch.
So, there you have it. I will include a picture of the mountain in the next post.
Let me know what you think of the history markers so I will know to continue with this idea.