Oregon Gold: A History of Mining from the Civil War Into the Progressive Era

Following the discovery of gold in 1862 at Auburn and Canyon City, new communities and prospects were established in eastern Oregon. Just as the lure of free land attracted homesteaders and livestock raisers in search of new opportunities, so did the possibility of finding wealth in gold and silver throughout the region. Based on exhaustive research and a wealth of sources—federal census and mining records, newspapers, mining periodicals, county land records, maps, and federal government reports—Oregon Gold offers a comprehensive study of mining in Oregon between 1862 and 1910. From carefully examining the eastern portion of the state to exploring the economic expansion and political development of Portland, William Willingham highlights what is unique about the Oregon gold mining experience and places Oregon’s precious metal mining in the context of mining throughout the American West.

Willingham shows how mining was an important aspect of the state’s history, far greater than has been traditionally understood. He provides special attention and analysis to the role Chinese miners played in the story of eastern Oregon mining and to the demographic makeups of two major mining communities, Susanville and Granite, that thrived during the period. The attention to detail and thorough reporting in Oregon Gold will captivate both scholars and general readers interested in western mining and Oregon history during the nineteenth century.

William F. Willingham is an independent historian living in Portland, Oregon. He is the author of several books, including Starting Over: Community Building on the Eastern Oregon Frontier and Collegiate Architecture and Landscape in the West: Willamette University, 1842–2012.