Photograph ‘Miners at the head of Auburn Ravine’

Photograph ‘Miners at the head of Auburn Ravine’

Gold Rush
California
Mining

Miners arrived at Auburn Ravine in Spring 1848 en route to the Colombo gold fields. On finding gold in the ravine some stayed on and the area became important for placer mining which involves extracting ores from placer deposits by washing or dredging. Sluicing (illustrated) is part of this process. A trough of boards is constructed, the placer deposit is shovelled in and a steam of water constantly runs through the deposit separating ore from earth. Corrugations in the trough’s floor slow the flow of the heavy ore which sinks to the bottom ready for collection. The photograph shows white miners alongside – but separate from - Chinese miners who are differently equipped (different roles?). China was closer to California than was the American east coast and about 20,000 Chinese immigrants arrived in 1852 alone. They met widespread discrimination from white settlers but this prejudice bound them into strong, self-reliant communities.

Joseph B. Starkweather, California

Smithsonian, National Museum of American History

http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthewater/exhibition/2_4.html

1852

Margaret Minchin

California State Library

N/A

Visual - daguerreotype photograph

19th century California