Striking it Rich

Much of the western half of the country is poorly suited to farming, but welcoming to miners. The great Gold Rush of 1849, which attracted huge numbers of prospectors, is followed by a rush into Nevada and Colorado silver mines. 

Mining towns are altogether different from farming communities. Filled with mostly unmarried men and their prostitutes, these rugged towns are pretty miserable affairs. Main street is mud, and lined with saloons.

Nonetheless, silver production explodes. New mining claims are being filed every week, and mining companies are suddenly issuing stock. Gold is found in some of the same areas, extending down into southern California. 

Western gold and silver, 1870

  Money from the Ground
Gold brings prospectors to California in 1849, but from there they spread all over the West. The first big silver strike is in neighboring Nevada, almost precisely along the path that the transcontinental railroad will take, 10 years later. The town that sprouts at the mines is called Virginia City, with a monster silver deposit known as the Comstock Lode.

Western silver boom, 1870 map

  Silver Now Dominates
This map shows silver strikes by 1870. The amazing thing about the pattern of dots is the fact that only a single railroad exists anywhere near these western sites. The transcontinental railroad runs through the largest siler-producing deposit at Virginia City, but nowhere else west of Nebraska. There aren't even any roads, other than settler trails. Precious metals are found mostly in mountainous areas, which are particularly difficult to reach. Most of the locations are outside of existing state borders.


Mining equipment, 1870

  Industrial Tools
Mining is different from manufacturing, in that equipment has to be frequently moved about. Ingenuity is required to design equipment that will perform efficiently when working on solid rock. Some are powered by steam engines in nearby structures. Smaller equipment is moved about on carts, and is typically pneumatically powered. This requires a steam-powered compressor to deliver pressurized air to the tool, via long hoses. A variety of odd-looking tools are devised to handle particular types of deposits.