04.12.2021 (22:17:57)
Mining Activity on Top of Raven Hill, From Windy Point in 1903
F. L. Ransome [08.10.1903]
I like this USGS Photo from early Oct. 1903 by F. L. Ransome, and just wish it were even sharper and double in size as this is one rare source of mine views on east slope of Raven Hill. My knowledge (Nov. 27, 2021) is still not as great as I wish, but it is what it is.
* In foreground right, partly seen headframe and cradle, I think this is part of the Twin Sister Mine operation, being an abandoned shaft as there are no rails on that trestle, nor are there any wheel on top of that headframe.
* The railroad spur is the Joe Dandy branch of the Short Line, leaving the High Line at Windy Point and going down into the Shaft House of the Joe Dandy, seen just left of the center of view.
* Joe Dandy Shaft House is easy to recognize as it has a special look to it, high, kind of square, high-sloped roof, box-like structure. In this view it appears to be enclosed ore-bins in that structure and that the railroad enters the structure.
* About center top/down and about 1/7 in from left-hand side is the Mary Ann Mine operations. It is a special look as the headframe and hoist house are built high up on scaffolding, but being that mining produces more waste rock then pay rock it makes sense to create an area for dumping by building up the ground around the shaft first.
* Just to the right of the Mary Ann, further into the image, is the Ore-house and Headframe of the Little Frank S. Mine operations, while closer to the photographer but still farther into the image then the Mary Ann, there appears to be a Ore-house or a smaller Shaft House, but I can't tell for sure what it is.
* Just left of the beforementioned Joe Dandy mine is the New Haven Mine, also known as Eclipse Shaft of New Haven Mining & Milling Co., located on the Eclipse No. 1 lode. In 1900 there was a Shaft House here as per a Sanborn Fire Insurance map, but in this view there is an open shaft with a headframe and a Hoist house closer to the photographer while the Ore-bin is further into the view, which when looking at a 1908 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map gives me the feel that the hoist-house in this view started out as a shaft-house, or possible the shaft-house burned and they rebuilt, either way, this is also a headframe put up on scaffolding and filled in below and around it.
* To the right of the beforementioned Joe Dandy, the two Shaft houses of the Ida May is seen, first the north one, smaller, higher, and further into the view and more to the right, the southern shaft house, somewhat larger. Further into the view I am lost to what I see and not see.
* There are many smaller Head-frames in the more foreground, at least one of those is on the Brigadier, but possible also Blue Flag, I really can't tell them apart, but they help convey the feel on how crowded the ground was when all was digging holes in their search for the gold ore! And in-between, we have some homes, and even trees still standing! Also some Out-houses can be picked out.
I did procure the colored version of this image. Source was gray-toned, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes for the moment.
View is Scaled down, Colored, Cropped, from the USGS image rfl00508. I did procure the colored version of this image.
This USGS product is considered to be in the U.S. public domain. For further information on the USGS Information Policies and Instructions, refer to the Copyrights and Credits section on this web page: http://www.usgs.gov/laws/info_policies.html

• USGS Photographic Library ID: ⊞ rfl00508
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Little Frank S. Mining Operations in 1903 [Colored; 780 x 540 pixels]

I-02400
Photograph/Image [#453]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#453

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