Do You Know These Buildings?
Answers: Perched 2,000 feet up Galena Mountain, these two wood frame buildings with corrugated metal siding and roofs are located near the town of Howardsville, approximately six miles northeast of Silverton. Part of the Old Hundred Mine, they were constructed above timberline at an elevation of over 12,000 feet. A wooden deck once ran the full length of the two-story boarding house, which is over 56 feet long. The three-story tramhouse still contains hoisting equipment and several cable supports. A clearly discernable path with a few wooden supports marks where a boardwalk once connected the two buildings. Linked to the tramhouse, the precarious boardwalk gave the roomers access to the various levels of the mine and the stamp mill in Cunningham Gulch below. The two buildings were constructed in 1904 with enormous difficulty. Materials were brought by railway to Howardsville, carried by wagon to the tramway terminal at the mill, then packed by mule six and a half miles up a winding trail to the top of the mountain. The materials were then lowered by hand windlass 250 feet down a wooden chute to the construction site. Food, water and smaller supplies were raised by ore bucket from the valley floor. There was very little room to maneuver materials or equipment, as the only level ground at the site was the narrow ledge on which the buildings would sit. Built to house miners at the lowest working level of the mine, the boarding house allowed employees to readily access the adit without having to combat weather or rugged terrain. This on-site housing also allowed the mining company control over workers during their off-hours while providing the expected room and board considered part of a miner’s compensation. The boarding house slept 24 men but may have housed twice that many as the miners going on shift would give their bunks to those finishing a shift. The upper floor was reserved for bunks and sleeping areas, while the lower level contained the dining room and kitchen. There was a staff of four—a cook, a baker, and two waiters. Three aerial tramways that connected the various mine levels with the boarding house and the mill were also impressive engineering accomplishments. The buckets traveled at a rate of 800 feet per minute and could carry five tons per hour. Although dangerous and difficult to install, the tramways were the most efficient means of transportation available in the rigorous terrain. The San Juan Mining District, established in 1873, covered four million acres of land within present-day San Juan, Hinsdale and Ouray counties. By 1874, nearly 4000 claims had been recorded on lands previously owned by the Tabeguache Utes. A family of four German brothers, the Niegolds, made the earliest gold and silver ore discoveries on the Old Hundred veins. The brothers formed the Midland Mining Company and continued operating their claims until about 1884. They built a 40-stamp mill at the bottom of Cunningham Gulch capable of processing up to 200 tons of ore a day. Construction of the mill cost nearly half a million dollars, an astonishing amount at the time, and newspaper reports praised the mill and its state-of-the-art technology. Only foundations remain today. The mine supplied approximately $150,000 in gold to the Denver Mint (over three million dollars at today’s prices). However by 1908, questionable management practices, diminishing values, depleting ore deposits, and rising operating costs combined to force the company to cease production. Reflecting the remarkable resourcefulness, perseverance, and technology
needed to mine the rugged San Juans, the Old Hundred Mine Boarding House
and Tramhouse were listed in the Colorado State Register of Historic Properties. Several State Historical Fund grants have aided in the stabilization of
both buildings. |
