07.04.2024 (13:39:34)
Battle Mountain Mines From Southeast
Unknown
To me this view here is informative and nice. Sadly, the original image is quite faded, but I been able to work around most of that and got some details better visible. Dating this image is helped by lack of the Short Line grade into Victor from east; making this photographed from before latter half of 1901 as by November that year, some of what is seen in this image would have had to give way make room for the Short Line and new High Line grade. And being the original High Line trestle is seen near upper right on Battle Mountain, this view has been taken after December 1, 1897, as that is the date the rails and catenary was in place on the route to Victor. This gives a near 4-year span on when this image was photographed by someone unknown.
Against the sky at about 1/3 in from right-hand side is an earlier edition of the later more famous large Portland No.2 Shafthouse, only dumps are seen up there so the large orehouse often seen in images are yet to come, as those seems linked to the still to come Short Line branchline, also a late 1901 happening.
Further downhill the quite familiar shafthouse of the Portland No.1 Burns Shaft is seen, with 5-smokestacks, long orehouse, and various larger structures linked to that mine. Looking at high-resolution scans I see three large round watertanks linked to the Portland mines, and I see the Scranton shafthouse on the hillside above and to the right of the Portland No.1 shafthouse.
I also see the lower tunnel opening of the famous Golden Circle Steel Tunnel that was built to be covered by the Portland dump, an article in a journal named 'Engineering' was published September 17, 1898 talking about that tunnel and showing images that would suggest this image to be from after that time, taking us down to a 3-year span in the dating department.
To the left of the Portland No.1 dumps on the high-resolution scans I can pick out the upper Granite Mine structures, but at my 2400dpi scan I still can't say for sure if I see structures along a long dump on the hillside above the Granite, structures that if I read my maps, like the 1903ish topographic USGS one, is mostly on the Lowell lode claim, there seems to be some structures but to far away to tell for sure.
The Ajax mine is seen against the sky near upper left side of the image, with the north, or upper, shafthouse structures of the Dead Pine mine operations to the right of the Ajax, with what appears to be a string of boxcars parked on the 3-foot Golden Circle railroad just to the right of those structures.
Further downhill and to the left of the easy to spot old shafhouse of the Strong Mine a smaller headframe with hoisthouse to the right of it is seen, I often wonder about it, and this might be the location of the W. C. Dillon lode claim discovery shaft, but I have no good maps to tell me for certain as the only possible marking on the 1903ish topo-map is also close to the Strong lode sideline, but most likely it is just a shaft operation on the W. C. Dillon.
Strong Mine has been mentioned, it is the older tower-like easy to spot shafthouse, with its still standing today ore-house seen in front of and somewhat to the left of the shafthouse.
Going to the right from the Strong one passes the Stratton's Independence dump and what might still be some left-over structures of the original Discovery Shaft of the Independence lode claim, not easy to tell for certain.
Also not easy to tell for sure, but just to the lower left of the easy to spot orehouse of the Independence mine there is a small dump and some structures on that dump that fits with the location of the Discovery Shaft of the Washington lode claim, but the structure fail to fit the only known image of the Washington mine, so I can't compare views and verify through that.
Talking about the Stratton's Independence, that mine has three larger ore-houses spread out along the M.T. grade, and the large Shafthouse of the Independence No.2 is seen in the background left of the large Independence Orehouse and the huge belching smoke smokestack of the Independence.
The old Taylor-Brunton Sampler that was along the M.T. mainline below the Portland Mine is also seen near right-hand side of the image about halfway up from bottom right.
In addition to those mining-based structures, the roadbed of the Florence & Cripple Creek is seen here and there, with some boxcars parked alongside a longer structure just where the Golden Circle trackage has melted into the F. & C. C. tracks, possible a coal shed and storage area for many products, but to be gone later as it is not seen on the 1903ish topo-map.
There is a dump on the hillside below that before mention shed and boxcars string, about 1/3 up from bottom and 2/5 in from right-hand side, this I believe was around the Discovery Shaft, most likely on a secondary shaft south of it, on the Corrigan Chief lode claim, with what feels like some sort of mining structures type small mill below that again, being two structures at two levels being connected and having some smokestacks. This structure also does not seem to appear on the 1903ish topo-map so could have been gone by the time that map was prepared. For now, this would be one of many unknowns, unless it is the Robert McCools Foundry, that is shown on Sheet11 of the Victor 1900 Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps, as that fits the image somewhat well!
I did procure the colored version of this image, if that is what you see, as I think it is nicer. Source is 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.
My Collection; Photographs.

• My Website: ⊞ Battle Mountain Mines From Southeast
• My Website; Cropped Photolink: ⊞ Battle Mountain Mines From Southeast [Enhanced; Colored]

P-04750
Photograph/Image [#544]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#54421.11.2021 (16:02:49)
The Blue Stocking Mine
Andrew James Harlan
As this photo appears in a February/March 1896 publication, this dates the photo to no later than early 1896, but more likely to 1895, I doubt 1894 but can't see anything in the view to rule it out either...
Why Mr. Harlan indicates Independence Mine No. 2 as Portland No. 2 I do not know, but this is at least the second image I've seen him do it on. Both are from around 1895/1896, so either that mine used to locally be known as that, or he just has his info crossed... Me think the latter. Other publications from this timeframe say that the structure is the Independence No. 2 Mine, including a Sanborn fire Insurance Map. The Portland No. 2 is further uphill from No. 1, in this view that would be outside the view at top right.
The small mine in the foreground is operations on the Blue Stocking Mine, not sure which part of the claim as per info in Hills 1900 Manual this claim is partly owned by two companies, whereas the Portland Gold Mining Company is one of those. Same is the Black Diamond, the Scranton and the Anna Lee mines, all marked out in this view, all of them also became part of the great Portland Gold Mining company.
About middle of image, top/down, the Midland Terminal roadbed of the mainline along Battle Mountain is seen, and in just a couple of years this scene will change very much as the dumps grows to immense dimensions.
I did procure the colored version of this image, if that is what you see. Source was grayish, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes at the moment.
My Collection; From page 28 in the Quarterly Sentinel [Vol. 1 - 1896]. I did procure the colored version of this image. Source was grayish, or in common speech black & white. Used an online service and tweaked and worked with image to get what looks best to my eyes at the moment.

• Page 28; The Quarterly Sentinel [Vol. 1 - 1896; History of Cripple Creek] - Published in 1896.

I-00536
Photograph/Image [#411]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#41121.11.2021 (16:00:30)
Independence and Portland Mines, Battle Mountain, Cripple Creek Mining District
William Edward Hook
This view shows several of the earlier mines on Battle Mountain, looking in a westerly direction.
We see near left-hand side and about 1/3 from top-left the East and partly south side of the Old Independence Mine, with the ore-house in front of the shaft house, and partly hiding the west most part of it.
Further up the hill to right is seen the well-known Independence Mine (No. 1) with its large Shaft House.
If we go left about 1/3 from right-hand side, and about 1/4 down from top we see the large Shaft House of the Independence No. 2 shaft, with the M.T. railroad in front of it and not the greatest dump there yet. This makes this view earlier than a H.S. Poley view (My ID I-01172) which is dated around 1895, early 1896.
Further up the hill is seen several shaft houses that shall disappear as the Portland Mine expand and engulf several of them, and in this view the larger ore-house seen in the before mention Poley view, which I have thought of as part of the Portland mine, that is no-where here to be seen below the shaft house of the Bob-Tail mine which is the structure at left of the Independence No. 2 where a single smokestack is poking up near end of the long sloping roof on the right side.
A little left and downhill a tiny bit and more west is the smaller Shaft House of the Lowell Mine.
Just above the Independence No. 2 is the original Portland Mine, just behind the smokestack of the Independence.
The Black Diamond is located just left of the Portland mine, hard to see even in the 100% view of this photo. Hiding mostly also behind the Independence No. 2.
Above the Portland and to the right, near the top is the Anna Lee mine, with a small ore-house in front and a smokestack seems to be located outside the shaft house itself, or at least at the lowest end of the long roof.
Below the Anna Lee is seen the Scranton shaft, with its shaft house extended to make a different slope on the short roof side.

Copyright restrictions applying to use or reproduction of this image available from the Western History and Genealogy Dept., Denver Public Library, at photosales@denverlibrary.org.

• Denver Public Library: ⊞ Call Number: X-62585

I-01171
Photograph/Image [#84]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#8421.03.2019 (00:24:07)
Portland Mine. Portland No. 2
Tomer Jacob Hileman
I do not know the source of the photographer's name, so it might be a wrong link I made at one time, but for time being I let him stay linked to this image so to speak! The view is a nice one of the Portland Mines, No.1 (Burns) Shaft in foreground and the No. 2 Shaft in the background more right. Between them is the old Shaft House of the Scranton, where the text 'No.2' is written. Behind that shaft-house and the cribbing there is a spur belonging to the Short Line terminating at the Ajax mine way outside the view at left.
My Collection; Postcards.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ Portland Mine. Portland No. 2

P-03337
Photograph/Image [#289]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#28917.07.2018 (08:41:39)
#3045. Portland Mine, Cripple Creek District, Colo.
Unknown
Not the best-looking card, damage in upper left corner where part of the number 3 making out the first number is missing, and the whole card is dark and not very sharp at all. But so far till now middle of July 2018 I've only seen this scene as a type of printed/lithograph type of view, and of the 8 I so far know about two are colored postcards, four are B/W postcards and two are postcard folder images.
This is a rather close-up view of the Portland No. 1 Mine with the Portland No. 2 in the background on top of the hill, and it tells the story quite well on how big a mine can grow. There is quite a lot of dump materials here, held up by the massive crib walls seen, lot of structures, ore houses built in stages and enlarged and so on.
The Short Line branch to Ajax Mine runs along the large cribbing seen in the background about 1/3 down from top, that crib-wall is supporting the large dumps around the Portland No. 2. Mine.
To the right of the No. 1 Shaft and below the No. 2 Shaft, is the smaller Shaft House of the Scranton Shaft, somehow that must have been used for something as that structure is on so many views of this area and on would think that an old shaft house would just have been tore down if it was not used…
My Collection; Postcards.

• My Website; Postcards Overview: ⊞ #3045. Portland Mine, Cripple Creek District, Colo.
• My Website; Cropped Postcard View: ⊞ #3045. Portland Mine, Cripple Creek District, Colo. [Twisted; 600dpi]

P-03843
Photograph/Image [#335]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#33528.06.2018 (09:08:24)
Portland Mine - Mill Victor Colo [Independence Mine, Mill]
William H. Lehr [aka Bill Lehr]
Yet another photograph I suspect is a copy of another source, the sides are rather blurred out and there are lots of dust and shit on the photo itself from a badly cleaned original at time of the copy making.
The scene is a view towards Battle Mountain, and the Independence Mill and Mine, here named as the Portland Mill indicating this view is from after the Portland Company bought the Independence Mill sometimes before September 1915 – I have not the year that buy happen as it still is in the pile of research materials to go through.
What I like with this view is that the Independence Shaft House is still here, fully enclosed while the Portland Shafts houses have been opened up to expose the Head-Frame more, also, I find it cool to see the Short Line/High Line Trestle (Bridge No. C, later B) across the old F. & C.C. is still there despite the fact that the tailings pond/dam in the foreground indicates that possible the railroad grade of the old narrow-gauge might be gone by now as it is clearly much higher up then the old grade was.
In the background the Portland Shafts can be seen with the No. 1 Shaft mostly hiding behind a dump, seen about middle top/down and about 2/5 in from left-hand side; while the old Scranton Shaft-house can be found about half the distance to the right towards the No. 2 Shaft who is looming at top of the hill against the sky about 1/4 in from right-hand side.
The Scranton is seen with a whole lot of other structures located at about same level as the No. 1 Portland Shaft, and is easy picked out due to the shape of the Roof-line of the Shaft House, having a long slope on the right and a shorter on the left which changes angle further down the roof-slope.
My Collection; Photographs.

• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Portland Mine - Mill Victor Colo
• My Website; Photolink: ⊞ Portland Mine - Mill Victor Colo [Enhanced/Cropped]

P-03686
Photograph/Image [#321]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#32109.04.2018 (18:05:49)
Portland Mine Cripple Creek District, Col.
Julia Skolas
This view of the great Portland Mine shows in the foreground the Number 1 shaft (aka Burns Shaft) where the shaft house seems to be gone, and the head frame is exposed for some reason. As there is still a shaft house over the Number 2 shaft in upper right background, I am not sure if this is from the time frame when shaft houses were banned due to their fire hazard, or some other reason.
Either way, the operation here is massive by just judging the huge crib-wall along the center of the view, and the enormous piles of waste rock filling the area around the structures.
View shows in addition to the two shafts, just below right-hand side center the Portland Ware House and then the Office structure is the large building between shaft 1 and warehouse. The old Shaft House behind/uphill from the office is the old Scranton shaft or hoist as Sanborn 1896/1900 calls it.
My Collection; Postcards.

• Postcards; Unknown Publisher(s) - Published in ????.
• no. 6; Postcard Folder named "The Greatest Gold Camp on Earth. Souvenir Folding Card of Cripple Creek District."; undated - Published in ????.
• Postcards; E.C. Kropp Company [C2038] - Published in ????.

• My Website: ⊞ Postcards Overview; Portland Mine Cripple Creek District, Col.
• My Website: ⊞ Album; Portland Mine, Victor, Colo.

P-03074
Photograph/Image [#77]
www.cripplecreekrailroads.com/01main/all_known_entities/pics_list-evry1_sort-newtop.php#77

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