Travel update: Full post to follow
Stamp Mill
Jared, Great Basin Exploring, and I have a running joke that someday he will tell me about a site I haven’t visited. Of course, it is a half-joke as he has been in many places I haven’t. When he told me we would visit a Nevada stamp mill, I thought it would be a shell destroyed by time and people.
But, boy, did he hit this one out of the park! It wasn’t even on my radar.
From the top, the ruins looked like a lean-to or shelter. However, I was shocked as we walked down the road and rounded a corner to find an intact five stamp-mill. It is the only complete stamp mill I have seen other than at a museum or secure site like Donovan Mill.
Initially used in the early 1900s, miners retrofitted it with a motor and new hoppers. I have found almost no reference to the mill online or in books. Due to the site’s sensitivity, I will name it only by county or mining district.
Nordyke
We started our day at Nordyke where I practiced flying the drone. The flour mill is terrific, but I am sad I did not visit before the fire destroyed much of the building and machinery.
Nordyke
Our final destination was the “Fork in the Road” cabin. Unfortunately, the third time is not a charm. The road to the location connects where we were, but it looks like better access might be through another valley. I hope to make it back before winter hits. Otherwise, it will drive me crazy!
Thank you, Seve, for installing my new radio; it was better than a handheld. I can hear people on it and not have static in my ear all the time.
Sad Chickees
It was a difficult weekend on the ranch. First, our favorite chicken, Spotty, was attacked. We think she may have been trying to protect the flock as she liked to do. Wildlife friends believe it was either a golden eagle or one of the migratory hawks we recently saw on the ranch. Spotty put up a fight; my little one investigated a large crime scene to figure out what happened. Spotty was only a leg and bones when my little one found her. We collected some special feathers to remember her. The next day one of our other girls wasn’t doing well. She didn’t make it through the next day despite a warm bath, Epsom salts, relaxing by the fire, spoon-fed honey water. I bought chicken ornaments to remember the girls.
Ornaments for the Christmas Tree
12-6-2021
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Linda says
Poor Spotty! A true heroine.
I’m new to Nevada and exploring it’s history. I was wondering what a stamp mill is/was. Such an amazing piece of machinery that was built by the miners! It looks like a steampunk invention!
Tami says
Thank you about Spotty.
I have been thinking about writing an article on the mining basics. Basically stamp mills crush the rocks to extract some of the minerals prior to shipping. Stamp mills have wood or metal beams which crush the ore which is then processed with mercury or cyanide. Each beam is a “stamp” and lifted by cams on a horizontal rotating shaft. Stamp mills relied on gravity and most often were located on hillsides. As raw ore descended through the mill it was crushed into a powder. Freighting unprocessed ore could be cost-prohibitive unless it was particularly rich. The milling process could increase the value of the shipping weight four to six times.
eloy rodriguez says
You have an unique lifestyle which moves you through life with the efficient of a rock crushing stamp mill. I have been sampling the soils around the stamp mills mostly in southern California [Ransburg area.] and have found many beautiful but small shards of gold. Do you sample?
I have you located any Arrastras? Pre American production; Spanish and Mexican. [ In Spanish the verb to drag is arrastrar.]
An arrastra is a primitive mill for grinding and pulverizing gold or silver ore. Its simplest form is two or more flat-bottomed drag stones placed in a circular pit paved with flat stones, and connected to a center post by a long arm.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Arrastra&atb=v315-1&ia=images&iax=images
Tami says
I didn’t think about it, but my lifestyle is unique, especially for a female. 😉
I haven’t sampled or mined other than trying gold panning on our property. There is a skill to it that I haven’t developed. I would like to learn more about geology. Each trip, I learn more about mining.
I have been to one arrastra. It was in beautiful shape, but the grinding stone had been removed to the museum. I have heard of a few others but haven’t visited them yet. As they are so rare, I haven’t even written about the one I found. I didn’t want to include it with information on the nearby ghost towns, as that would be too identifiable.