Mining Camps

Wherever a gold strike was made, hundreds of miners would gather to stake their claims and build a camp.  Mining towns grew up around the mines. These towns provided miners with places to live while they were working in the mines. Some mining towns grew into thriving communities; others, however, became deserted after the mines were closed.

In 1851 industrial mining, usually run by businesses with more advanced technology, began to replace the improvised group efforts of the Forty-Niners. The profits from these operations went to organized companies, often financed in the East. Professional miners went to work in the mines of the large companies, following the mining business to different sites such as Alaska. Many of the Forty-Niners returned to the occupations they held before they went in search of gold.

The gold rushes in the United States had a profound effect on the nation, as did the men who worked them. The Forty-Niners pioneered new trails through unknown regions and helped to open them up for settlement. They also added billions of dollars to the national wealth. These billions helped finance the growth of industry during the 19th century and helped make the United States an industrial nation.

Return to Index