Gold miners formed Deadwood from 1851-1861. White settlers did not allow Chinese to live and work within Deadwood, and therefore Chinese lived in a camp on the outskirts of Deadwood.
Miners separated gold from stream material capturing the water, gold, and stream material into a bucket, and pour the contents through to separate the gold from the other materials. The larger rocks are carried along a belt and dumped behind the machine while the smaller materials, like gold, fell into a sluice box. The other materials were tossed aside as tailings. Piled tailings still exist as high as 30 feet at this location.
At this Chinese camp, archaeologists have found wintergreen pottery, opium tins, opium pipe pieces, and brownware. House pits, where cellars once stood underneath the main structure, are still a notable feature of the area.
City: Yreka
State: California
ZIP: 96097
Submitted by: Felicia Luna
Additional Features:
Chinatown; Mining; Structure; Town
