A former Big Oak Flat landmark,
The Longfellow Mine and Stamping Mill was a classic landmark that could be viewed from Highway 120 in Big Oak Flat until a fire in 2008 burned the existing buildings, and the only remnants of the mine were the mine shaft, piles of processing tailings and metallic processing equipment, including the “stamp mills ”
Until the fire, Longfellow Mine was the sole surviving stamp mill in the area. Many familiar with the logo for the Southern Tuolumne County Historical Society are aware that the mine/stamping mill is encased in its logo.
At one time, the stamp mill was considered a focal point of an effort by local service clubs to create a historic park and visitors’ center along the gateway to Yosemite National Park.
The decline in “placer mining” — mining gold in streams and surface formations — and the improvements of mining technology, such as deep shaft techniques, around the 1880s incubated hard rock mining in the Mother Lode area.
It is reported that there were over 1,000 hard-rock mines in the Tuolumne County area in the early part of the 20th century.
The principal activity of the Longfellow Mine was between 1889 and 1907. It was then opened again three more times, each for a short duration. Mining and processing was reported during the period 1913-1914, and again from 1930-1931. The last reported operation was for a brief time in 1938.
The original operation was
steam powered prior to the electrification of Big Oak Flat and surrounding area around 1906.
By 1900, more than 24,200 ounces of gold had been processed at Longfellow Mine, with a value today of approximately $43 million, a moderate to highly productive operation compared with other similar sized facilities.
The Longfellow Mine was an underground mining operation. Operations consisted of underground workings extending over an area of 16 to 20 acres.
Workings included underground openings consisting of a single inclined main shaft at 30 degrees and 900 feet deep, with nine levels at 100 feet apart.
There is a model of the Longfellow Mine and Stamping Mill, complete with moving parts, and many other interesting historical displays at the Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum, please check the STCHS website (www.grovelandmuseum.org) for museum hours if you plan an outing.