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| Landmark #786 | Amador County | Visited: May 8, 2015 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | There’s a plaque on a hill, but the most in-depth experience you’ll get will come from touring the Kennedy Mine! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Argonaut Mine, discovered 1850, and Kennedy Mine, discovered 1856, played dramatic roles in the economic development of California, producing $105,268,760 in gold. Kennedy Mine has a vertical shaft of 5,912 feet, the deepest in the United States. The Argonaut was the scene of the Mother Lode’s most tragic mine disaster-on August 27, 1922, 48 miners were trapped in a fire at the 3,500-foot level – few survived. Both mines closed in 1942.
OTHER TIDBITS: What this caption leaves out is that the Argonaut Mine was originally called the Pioneer Mine and was discovered by William Tudor and James Hager, two freed slaves! They sold the mine to the Pioneer Gold & Silver Mining Company, who then sold it to the Argonaut Mining Company in 1893. The mine produced over $25 million in gold! Another little known fact is that the Argonaut is where the term “canary in a coal mine” originated! After the disaster of 1922, a rescuer brought a canary into the mine to test the air, and sure enough, it died from the toxic gas! Poor canary! The Kennedy Mine was discovered by Andrew Kennedy in 1856, but he and his four partners only half worked it until 1869 when they sold it for a dollar to eleven Jackson businessmen. One of these folks was named Peter Reichling, who happened to be the father of Lilly Reichling, founder of the Native Daughters of the Golden West! In any case, this mine that was sold for a dollar ended up yielding $34 million in gold in its 82-year operation! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: W roadside rest, State Hwy 49 (P.M. 5.6) 1.6 mi N of Jackson, CA 95642 ANNOTATIONS: 12594 Kennedy Mine Rd From Los Angeles: ~387mi (623km) — 6.5hrs |
| When should I go? | See the plaque any time, but to take a tour of the Kennedy Mine, stop by between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from March to October! |