Argonaut Mine

{{Infobox historic site

| name = Argonaut Mine

| image = Argonaut Mine - 1.gif

| caption = Argonaut Mine and Mill, {{circa|1920}}

| location = State Route 49, Jackson, California

| coordinates = {{coord|38.364717|-120.7871|region:US-CA_source:gnis-218162_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = California#USA

| built =

| architect =

| architecture =

| added =

| designation1 = California

| designation1_number = 786

| governing_body =

}}

The Argonaut Mine was a gold mine in Jackson, California, United States. The deposit was discovered in 1850, and in 1922 was the site of the worst gold-mining disaster in the state's history.{{r|LAT 2006-01-15}} The mine closed in 1942 and, along with the nearby Kennedy Mine, is registered as California Historical Landmark #786.{{cite ohp |id=786 |name=Argonaut and Kennedy Mines |accessdate=March 30, 2012}}

The gold deposit was discovered in the 1850s by two miners, James Hager and William Tudor, both freed slaves. Serious development began in 1893 when it was purchased by the Argonaut Mining Company. The mine operated until 1942 reaching a vertical depth of {{convert|5570|ft|m}} via a 63-degree shaft and produced more than $25 million (~${{Format price|{{Inflation|index=US-GDP|value=25000000|start_year=1942}}}} in {{Inflation/year|US-GDP}}) in gold.{{r|LAT 2006-01-15}}

Mine collapse

On August 27, 1922, 47 miners, mostly immigrants from Italy, Spain, and Serbia, were trapped {{convert|4650|ft|m}} below ground when a fire broke out. Other miners who had been near the surface poured water down the shaft in an attempt to put out the flames. By dawn, townspeople and other miners arrived to help, but it took two-and-a-half days for the fire to be extinguished.{{r|LAT 2006-01-15}}

Rescuers began re-opening tunnels from the Kennedy Mine which had been closed since an earlier fire in 1919. They were proceeding slowly, but hopes remained high until September 18, when a canary inserted beyond a bulkhead by oxygen-tank-equipped workers died. It took three weeks to reach the level at which the miners were trapped. No one survived and evidence indicated that they had all died within hours of the fire breaking out. One of the bodies was not recovered until a year later.

It was determined that the mine had violated safety regulations, but the owners escaped punishment, as the United States Bureau of Mines had little enforcement power. The exact cause of the fire was never determined, but it was said to be "incendiarism" (a broad term meaning either arson or defective wiring).{{r|LAT 2006-01-15}}

Listing as Superfund Site

The mine in Jackson may be the first mining site in the Sierra Nevada Motherlode to be listed as an EPA Superfund Site.{{cite news |title=Argonaut Mine in Jackson May Be First EPA Superfund Site In Sierra Nevada Motherlode |work=Central California Land News |date=April 10, 2016 |url=http://www.redefinedhorizons.com/cclnews/argonaut-mine-in-jackson-may-be-first-epa-superfund-site-in-sierra-nevada-motherlode/}} Mine tailings and waste from ore processing left a million cubic yards of material tainted with arsenic, lead and mercury within the limits of the city of Jackson. Single family homes and part of the Jackson high school were built on waste rock piles from the mine. Other waste from the mine is being held back by the Eastwood Multiple Arch Dam, which the EPA says is at risk of failure.{{Cite news|date=November 4, 2015|title=California Warns 99-Year-Old Dam May Collapse This Winter|url=https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2015/11/04/california-warns-99-year-old-dam-may-collapse-this-winter/|access-date=August 17, 2021|work=KPIX|language=en-US}}

There are no commercial organizations responsible for mining still in existence to be held responsible for the mine cleanup. When the mine is listed on a Superfund site the mine will be eligible for federal cleanup funds.{{cite news |url=http://www.mining-technology.com/news/newsepa-to-add-argonaut-mine-in-california-to-national-priorities-list-5000136 |title=EPA to add Argonaut Mine in California to national priorities list |work=Mining Technology |date= September 8, 2016 |access-date=September 10, 2016}}

In popular culture

Argonaut High School located in Jackson, California is named after the mine.{{citation needed|date=September 2012}}

Ghost Adventures visited the mine to investigate possible paranormal activity.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

Ghost Hunters investigated the mine to determine if the claims of paranormal activity had any validity.{{Citation needed|date=July 2023}}

References

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite news|last=Rasmussen|first=Cecilia|date=January 15, 2006|title=1922 Gold Mine Disaster Was State's Deadliest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/119738915/argonaut-mine-disaster-rasmussen/|access-date=August 17, 2021|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US}}

}}