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The Mighty Argo Mill and Tunnel played a large role in the Colorado Gold Rush history, and because of this, the mining boom across the nation was greatly impacted by the innovations used at the site. Today, The Argo Mill and Tunnel still stands as a great reminder of the mining processes that built Colorado from the ground up, and without it, the mining boom would not have seen the same large-scale effects and advancements that it had on the world.
An Overview of Colorado Gold Rush History
The onset of the mining boom was in 1859, marking the beginning of the Colorado Gold Rush history. During the Colorado Gold Rush, also known as the Pikes Peak Gold Rush, prospectors flocked to Colorado in search of the same luck that George A. Jackson had when he first discovered gold in Clear Creek—near present-day Idaho Springs. Later in the 19th century, large-scale mining companies took over, and then the gold industry peaked in Colorado in the 1890s. Large mining operations really took off during this peak, especially when The Argo Mill became functional after being built from 1893 to 1910. During the 20th century, the gold rush slowed down a little, but the need for gold mining was still very present and was a critical part of Colorado’s economy.
First Step: The Tunnel
Colorado’s Gold Rush History was forever changed with the introduction of The Argo Tunnel. Completed in 1910, The Argo Tunnel—at the time called the Newhouse Tunnel—spanned 4.2 miles between The Argo Mill in Idaho Springs and Central City, connecting several mining operations in the region. Originally, The Argo Tunnel was built solely for water drainage purposes. At times, when miners wanted to dig deeper to find more veins of gold, they would hit water and flood the mine, meaning they couldn’t reach more ore. With the tunnel in place, this water could be drained out of the mines and miners could then dig deeper, yielding more ore and more gold.
Aside from draining water, miners soon discovered that the tunnel was also a great mode of transportation for the ore, as the tunnel could take it directly to The Argo Mill to be processed. Ore carts would send plenty of ore each day to The Argo Mill, directly from mines within the region. This method saved time and money on transporting the ore, allowing more gold to be processed each day.
Next Step: The Mill
The Argo Mill was built and fully operational in 1913, and it quickly became one of the largest and most technologically advanced milling facilities in the region. Once ore arrived at the mil directly through The Argo Tunnel, The Argo Mill would then go through the gold ore processing steps of crushing, grinding, separating, and more with very advanced equipment. The techniques used in these processes by The Argo Mill were highly innovative, such as gravity separation, cyanidation, and flotation treatments. These techniques were pivotal in the efficacy of gold milling in Colorado’s Gold Rush History.
With the help of such innovations from The Argo Mill, gold could be successfully extracted from even low-grade ore, which previously would have resulted in very little, if even any, gold extraction. As the mill could process up to about 300 tons of ore per day, The Argo Mill became a hub that kept mining and milling operations alive once the more easily extractable “surface gold” was harder to find and the only option was to dig deeper or use lower-grade ore.
A Lasting Impact
The Argo Mill and Tunnel played such a pivotal role in Colorado’s mining boom, providing water drainage for safer and easier mining, better transportation for mined ore, and more successful techniques for extracting gold. Then, being able to carry out these practices even after the Gold Rush calmed down helped advance Colorado’s economy and create a lasting impact that can be seen throughout the state and within the gold industry today.