Pictured in the photo is one of the last remaining structures of the Old Hundred gold mine, located on Galena Mountain near Silverton, Colorado.
Places such as this leave me wondering what it was like at its heyday. The inception of the mine was in the spring of 1872 when 3 brothers from Germany staked their claim high upon that mountain and began prospecting the veins for gold. Upon further reading, the history tells the story of a mine that was beset with financial woes. Those three brothers didn't have enough money to continue developing the mine and, after 30 years of operation, they put the mine up for sale. The attempt to sell was unsuccessful and the mine was lost to back taxes. Later on another attempt was made to make the mine profitable. More money and equipment was poured into it, with the results being less than desirable. In 1973 the mine was finally abandoned when it became all too clear the money going into it was more than the money coming out.
The history of this abandoned mine is undoubtedly intriguing. However, what I wonder about the most: Before the occupants of that boarding house stepped out onto the porch, did they take a deep breath and say their prayers?