From Mining to Mercury: Preservation of the Historic Industrial Landscape of Jackson, California

Summary

Nestled in the foothills of the western Sierra, the city of Jackson in Amador County, California was the location of some the richest gold deposits mined in the Gold Rush era Mother Lode. Over the last few years, several projects have been initiated on this historic industrial landscape. The City of Jackson began raising funds to help preserve the uniquely stunning tailing wheels that have dominated the skyline for more than a century. Conversely, well beyond locally available funds is the problem of toxic clean-up as a result of nearly a century of mining efforts. Mercury, arsenic, and lead currently rest under significant portion of the city. Recently, the Environmental Protection Agency’s National Priority List, commonly known as the Superfund, has added the Argonaut Mine in Jackson for federal aid in toxic clean-up. This poster will summarize the challenges of both preservation and hazardous clean-up on this cultural landscape.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 17424