Empire Mine State Historic Park, Gold mining historical complex in Grass Valley, US.
Empire Mine State Historic Park is a preserved mining complex in Grass Valley, California, with original buildings, equipment yards, and access to portions of the underground tunnel system. The site covers several hundred acres and includes administrative buildings, shafts, a blacksmith shop, a machine workshop, and the former owners' residence.
The mine began operation in the mid-1800s during the California gold rush and ran continuously for over a century until closing in the mid-1950s. The owners brought experienced miners from Cornwall who dug deeper shafts and introduced more advanced extraction systems.
Cornish miners arrived from the tin and copper mines of Cornwall and supplied most of the workforce from the late 1870s until the mine closed. Their steam-powered Cornish engine drained 18,000 US gallons of seepage a day, and the last pumps were shut and removed on 28 May 1957. The Cottage, designed by Willis Polk in 1897 from mine waste rock, had a greenhouse, gardens, fountains and a reflecting pool.
Tours of the mining yard and buildings operate during warmer months, with pathways between stations mostly level and easy to walk. The park opens year-round for outdoor self-guided walks supported by interpretive signs.
A small room in the visitor center houses a hand-built model of the underground tunnels that took decades to complete. The model is based on survey data and shows how the shafts extend beneath the town itself.
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