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The following is just a sample of locations used by KUED-TV crews in the production of Fire in the Hole:
The Couer D'Alene Historic Mining Region
Step back in time to the days when Silver Mining was King in the northern Idaho panhandle. The town of Wallace offers numerous historic sites, a mining museum and a fully restored railroad depot/museum.
Many web sites consider the 1907 trial of William D. Haywood for allegedly masterminding the bombing assassination of former Idaho Governor Frank Steunenberg.
While virtually all of the locales of the murder of Steunenberg and the trial of Haywood have been pushed aside by modern development, an interesting side trip in the Boise area is the restored Idaho Penitentiary. Dating back to pre-statehood days, the prison held Haywood, Charles Moyer and George Pettibone for a year during the trial. It also served as the "home" for confessed assassin Harry Orchard for some fifty years, after he admitted serving as a union controlled bomber in the West.
Bisbee and Arizona Mining History
The
southeast corner of Arizona is filled with enduring images of the Wild West.
The town of Bisbee, once the "Queen of the Copper Camps" is now predominantly
a tourist location and budding art colony. An excellent museum provides an
introduction to the area's mining history, as well as the Bisbee Deportation.
Adjoining the town is a large open pit copper mine that demonstrates the scope of mining efforts in the region.
Nearby, the town of Tombstone more directly caters to the myths and legends of the Old West, but also offers the museum at the historic Cochise County Courthouse.
Also in Arizona, the town of Jerome in the northern part of the state offers a glimpse back at turn of the century copper mining. Jerome, also a site of labor-management strife, is enjoying renew life as a tourist and arts destination.
Rolling History: The Nevada Northern Railway
In Ely, Nevada local citizens have rallied to refurbish and operate the Nevada Northern Railway. In addition to scheduled summer runs of a period locomotive and passenger cars through the nearby countryside, the Railway also maintains the historic depot and museum in East Ely.
The mountains near Pike's Peak offer spectacular scenery and wonderful historical opportunities. Cripple Creek, Colorado has numerous attractions including the Cripple Creek District Museum and the Cripple Creek and Victor Narrow Gauge Railroad.
To relive the experience of descending one thousand feet into a mine and working a stope in pursuit of gold, visit Cripple Creek's Mollie Kathleen Gold Mine.
Nearby Victor, Colorado has remains of many old mines. NEVER ENTER AN ABANDONED MINE. PLEASE HEED ALL WARNING AND TRESPASSING SIGNS. The scenic American Eagles Mine Overlook offers views of the Mining District, Continental Divide and modern day mining operations. The Teller County Focus Group is a local band of citizens dedicated to preserving historic mining sites and providing education.
The United Mine Workers of America erected a memorial to the men, women, and children killed at the Ludlow tent colony.
Located about 15 miles
north of Trinidad, Colorado, off of Interstate-25, the memorial is built at
the site of the Ludlow tent colony.
Currently, an archeological team is excavating the Ludlow site along with
the ruins of a mining town in nearby Berwind Canyon.
To find out more about the history and archeology of this region, visit coloradodigital.coalliance.org/cfindex.html
Nearby Trinidad, Colorado also has several historic buildings and museums.
Butte, Montana has seen its share of boom and bust days. Much of the town's proud mining history is preserved at the World Museum of Mining. Located at the site of the former Orphan Girl mine, the museum features the mine's original headframe as well as a recreation of a 1890's a mining town. Housed on 23 acres, there's plenty to do and see.
A side note. . .
Many old mine sites have been designated for clean-up under federal and state environmental quality laws. Contamination of streams and groundwater by heavy metals leaching from mine tailings is a dark, and often controversial, legacy from the days of unchecked mineral exploration. The clean-up efforts have removed many old smelters from the landscape, and have often produced massive excavation efforts to stabilize contaminated tailings. As such, should you visit a former mining region, you will no doubt find that landscapes have often been dramatically altered. A visit to a local museum can introduce you to photographic views of most locations during their mining heyday.
Many former mine boomtowns have taken on new character as the twenty-first century dawns. Artist colonies have blossomed. Tourists with an interest in history are catered to. Even ski resorts have opened on the hillsides where thousands tried to strike it rich.
When visiting any mine location, please exercise extreme caution, read and comply with all posted notices, and remember that even inactive mine sites can be private property.
