Cave Creek Museum to showcase miners

Cave Creek Museum to showcase how miners found and processed gold near the turn of the century.

In the late 1800s, gold mining was hard work, difficult and hazardous. Just ask Greg Barnhart, one of the museum’s lead Dream Team members who helped bring Arizona’s only operating stamp mill ore crushing system back to life at the Cave Creek Museum.

Barnhart, a local mining aficionado, says discovering how to extract the maximum amount of gold was the goal of every miner back in the day. After finding the ore they sought (mostly in quartz), miners would work to extract the precious gold within. Most miners gathered the heavy ore and sent it via a tramway to stamp mills where it was crushed into a slushy substance before receiving another step to remove all the gold possible.

“After the mill pulverized the ore, amalgamation was used by the miners,” adds Barnhart. “They would run the remaining ore over a copper plate lined with a bed of mercury to capture even more gold (then known as quicksilver) because mercury absorbs gold,” says Barnhart.

The miners then would scrape it off and put it into a retort (a simple, sealed metal vessel used to capture mercury under water) that would cook the mercury to boil off and leave the remaining gold, since the mill could only save about 80% of the gold. However, miners had to be careful not to inhale the fumes as the mercury poisoning could make them crazy (known as Madhatter’s Disease) and eventually kill them,” adds Barnhart. “Miners would put their arms into the mercury to retrieve the precious gold “button” at the bottom. Mining could be very dangerous.”

Mercury poisoning happened to men other than miners as it was also used to stiffen hatbands.

Visitors and members can experience the excitement of days long past during the Saturday, February 10 and 24 and Saturday, March 9 and 23, 2024 full demonstration of the Arizona Gold Mining Experience at the museum from 9-11:15 AM.

The excitement builds with the operation of the amazing Golden Reef Stamp Mill and Tramway, Arizona’s only fully operational ten-stamp ore crushing mill. The 10, 1,000-lb. stamps slam down in synchronized motion to pound ore removed from the mine into fine gravel. The stamp mill was brought from its former location at the Golden Reef Mine on Continental Mountain to Cave Creek Museum, which has the only fully operational mining stamp mill in its original mining district in Arizona; it is located just five miles from its site on the mountain. The giant stamp mill also is connected to a working tramway and ore carts that carry the ore to be pulverized to the stamp mill.

The experience continues as guests peer into a mineshaft to show the blasting techniques used by hard rock miners. Next, onto the blacksmith shop for a demonstration of the many skills used when parts and tools had to be fabricated onsite.
Guests then are encouraged to try their luck at the gold panning station, where museum volunteers show visitors how to pan for ore and minerals just like the prospectors did.

Admission is $15 for adults and children under 12 are free. Reservations are required. For those who want the thrill of the full Gold Fever package, pay for the AZGME and add $145 for the three-hour gold mine tour on March 9. By doing so, you support the entire gold mining experience and Cave Creek Museum. Reserve tickets online at cavecreekmuseum.org as there is a limit. Cave Creek Museum is located at 6140 E. Skyline Drive in Cave Creek, Ariz., 480.488.2764. Open October through May.

The 53-year-old museum’s mission is to preserve the artifacts of the prehistory, history, culture and legacy of the Cave Creek Mining District and the Cave Creek/Carefree foothills area through education, research and interpretive exhibits. Cave Creek Museum is located at 6140 E. Skyline Drive in Cave Creek, Ariz. Open October through May. The museum can be reached at 480.488.2764 or cavecreekmuseum.org. Where History Comes Alive.