14.10.2021 (22:56:54)
The Lee & Buena Vista Mines Isabella Properties, Cripple Creek Colo.
Andrew James Harlan
This is a wonderful scene by Mr. Harlan and colored by him or someone working for him. I can get better coloring in our modern day on sharp good photographs, using AI-technology, but this is a original photograph, from around 1899 capturing the feel on northeastern slope of Bull Hill or Bull Cliff, not sure how to define what this area should be named as.
In the foreground is the mainline of the 3-foot Golden Circle circling the hillside going towards its end-loop at Vista Grande which is sort of straight ahead through that hill in background left-hand side. The mine in the foreground is the Lee Shaft of the Isabella company, the main shaft for time being of this photo, with a railroad spur down to both its power-house and more important, down to the Ore-House and working towards but not yet have reached the Buena Vista Mine which is seen about 1/3 in from right-hand side and same from top side.
My Collection; Photographs. Slightly Cropped version of my 300dpi scan.
P-01726
Photograph/Image [#397]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#39708.05.2018 (17:25:56)
A View At the Empire State, aka Empire Lee Mine, North Slope Bull Hill, Cameron Valley and Pikes Peak Range in Background
Unknown
This was one of those unknown mines I could not fully say where was. Spent hours searching and then, on page 16 in a Book by Bill Munn (titled 'A Guide to the Mines of the Cripple Creek District'), I found it!! As I already had seen, the Pikes Peak Range is in the background, and while snow covers lot of the ground, the valley below is the one I think of as Cameron Valley, where the crossing between the Short Line and the Midland Terminal tracks can be seen about 1/3 in from the left-side on the image part of the card and about 2/5 down from top of same image part.
To me that put this in the area of the Isabella, but a feel sneaked into me that maybe, just maybe this is operation around the old location of the Victor Mine? I had no idea, but in the end I did find out that this is actually the Empire State, or as it was known as from 1923; the Empire Lee Mine, located on the North Slope of Bull Hill, where the Golden Circle mainline ran below the mine, down between the dumps seen about middle top/down on the right-hand side of the image part. There was Extensive Underground connections between the Lee shaft of the Isabella and this mine, hence the name changes according to the book.
The view is a winter view, quite a big Head-Frame is seen with a not so long Ore-house to the left of it, several smaller shed like structures are seen to the right of the Head-frame, and the photographer stood on the dump of another mine, possible Orphan Boy, as there is a shadow of a smaller Head-frame seen near lower right corner.
My Collection; Postcards.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ A View At the Empire State, aka Empire Lee Mine, North Slope Bull Hill

P-03607
Photograph/Image [#295]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#295

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