Chapter 4 Section 1 Pages 158-166 Miners and Ranchers

Mining Young, single men Desire to strike it rich Cherry Creek, CO Other CO places in the mountains Helena, MT Virginia City, NV Black Hills (South Dakota)

The Mining Frontier Some small prospectors made fortunes Most money made by large mining corporations. Mining towns had high populations of foreigners. Environmental destruction due to blasting, chemicals, and water pollution.

Mining’s Economic Impacts The added gold (and silver) Boosted U.S. economy Increased foreign investment Stimulated U.S. involvement in global economy

The Spread of Western Mining

Virginia City and the Comstock Lode 1850 - 1880

Discovering the Comstock Lode Hosea and Ethan Grosh came to Sun Mountain in search of gold. They were not successful but refused to give up. In 1856 they were very much surprised to find not gold, but silver. Alas, Hosea died very soon afterwards from tetanus after striking his foot with a pick. Ethan died several months later from severe frostbite after becoming lost in snow-covered mountains. Henry “Old Pancake” Comstock took over their cabin, notebooks, and claims. He soon discovered the brothers’ secret and lost no time in claiming nearly all of Sun Mountain in his name.

Virginia City By 1860, 10,000 people had made the journey to Virginia City in search of silver. Laws were scarce and arguments were usually settled by fists or bullets. An attorney, William Stewart arrived and began settling disputes with lawsuits instead of duels.

There’s gold in them thar hills! Placer Mining was used to extract gold & minerals from the ground, but only the shallow level of ground was penetrated with this method. Equipment like picks, shovels and pans were used in Placer Mining Panning for Gold

Diggin’ Deeper When deposits near the surface ran out, miners began hydraulic mining. Miners sprayed high pressure water against the mountain side exposing the minerals beneath the surface. Hydraulic mining devastated the environment by depositing tons of silt, sand, and gravel into local rivers. Today, most mining companies dig deep mine shafts into the ground to extract minerals. This is called quartz mining. Hydraulic Mining

A boom town appears almost over night. a community that experiences sudden and rapid growth A boom town appears almost over night.

19_30.jpg Street scene in Utah, 1869

The End of An Era By 1880 the Comstock Lode had run dry. Unemployment climbed and people began to leave the area in search of a better life. In 1881 the Consolidated Mine caught fire. The tunnels were sealed and allowed to burn. The boom days for Virginia City had ended. Today Virginia City is a tourist destination. Many of the original buildings still exist and efforts are made to ensure their survival for another day.

Ranching Fences Large tracts of land Huge herds of cattle Rise of the Cattle Barons

The American Cowboy Romanticized Mythologized Lonely, rugged existence Necessary for Cattle business “The Virginian”

Cowboys One of the toughest jobs in american history Cattle & sheep Diversity A large portion of real cowboys were Black and hispanic (Vaqueros) While hispanics were still considered “2nd class” cowboys, black cowboys worked, lived, and were paid the same as whites.

Two Developments Made Cattle Drives Worthwhile During the Civil War, the cattle were needed in the east to feed the soldiers. Cattle could be driven up north to the rail lines and transported to the east at 10 times the price the cowboys could get in Texas for the same cows.

The Cattle Drives Romanticized, difficult Spurred growth of RRs Food “on the hoof” fed growing demand in Eastern Markets and for Miners Depended on the Open Range

Texas Longhorn Cattle Durable Tough Ornery Good sense of smell - could locate sources of groundwater

Longhorn Cattle

Dodge City, Kansas Front Street- 1870’s Can you name this famous sheriff of Dodge City? Dodge City, Kansas Front Street- 1870’s

Cowboys The end of the cattle boom Overgrazing on the “open Range” destroyed the land Barbed wire cut off access to open land and water Too much beef = Beef prices drop

The End of the Open Range The open range would end when ranch owners began to build fences (barbed wire) to prevent sheep herders from grazing the land meant for cattle. The price of beef fell due to oversupply and many ranchers went bankrupt. Then, in the winter of 1886, blizzards covered the ground so deep that cattle could not graze any grass.