The Idaho Gold Rush
Idaho is known for its garnets, the forests and hot springs, and of course the potatoes. But perhaps the most famous thing about Idaho, was its Gold Rush. The Idaho gold rush collectively brought out more gold than both the California 49er and the Klondike rush (www.idahogoldmining.com). The lust for gold was so powerful, the mines sometimes collapsed houses because they ran right under the foundations (www.idahogoldmining.com)! Our own Boise Basin was the richest gold strike ever seen in America, and that is something to boast about. For such an unknown state, we do have a rich part of this country's history.
For thousands of years, gold has been one of the world's most precious materials, but how did it end up in Idaho? When it comes to the origin of gold, one must keep in mind that it is a chemical element, so we can't exactly say it is formed in nature, but is rather a mix of elements we find in our soils (ezinearticles.com). One very popular idea states that many deposits were born from ground waters that circulated driven by the force of the hot magma and penetrated Earth's crust up to 2 to 5 miles from the surface. And as the water heated, it dissolved parts of the surrounding rocks. Then, when it reached colder areas and chilled abruptly, the metallic minerals clustered and formed veins and ore bodies (ezinearticles.com).
Between the years of 1860 and 1890, hundreds of claims and mines had sprung up over northern Idaho's hills and streams (www.idahogoldmining.com). Even more impressive were the thousands of people who streamed into the camps and small towns, all hoping to get their change to strike it rich. Most people came just to find the gold, but some liked it so much they decided to stay and raise families here in our mountains. From these people sprung Idaho City, and many other towns that are still in use today. However, some of these towns died with the end of the rush. These towns are now what they call Ghost Towns, and...