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Gold Road Mine LbNA #37665

Owner:MrOspital
Plant date:Jan 20, 2008
Location:
City:Oatman
County:Mohave
State:Arizona
Boxes:1
Found by: stmpspaz
Last found:Jan 3, 2017
Status:FFFFFFFFOFFFFFFFFFFF
Last edited:Jan 20, 2008
Gold Road Mine
Taken Loosely from USGS Bulletin #397 by F.C. Schrader (1909).

In 1900, a Mexican prospector named Jose Jerez, who was grubstaked by friend Henry Lovin, of Kingman, in the amount of 16 dollars, was out searching for his lost burros when he stumbled over a chunk of quartz that glistened brightly in the midday sun. Upon examining the rock, Jose knew it contained some gold. Much to his amazement it assayed out to 40 ounces to the ton! He contacted Lovin with the good news and they both set out to start digging.

In a few months, they had managed to dig a 15-foot deep shaft on the rich vein. Their activity attracted the attention of a group from Los Angeles, who eventually purchased the claim from the two miners for $50,000. This group then sold it to another group of investors for $275,000.

The new group immediately raised a half million dollars, incorporated under the laws of the Arizona Territory, and hired 180 workers and the mine was off and running. By the end of 1907, the Gold Road Mine property had reportedly milled $2,250,000.00 worth of yellow metal. Most of the 140,625 ounces was produced in 1905 and 1906.

When the mine was again in full production in 1996, 97 & 98, it was running 500 tons of ore a day, producing 40,000 ounces of gold a year. The operation employed 135 miners at its peak. Closure came in late 1998 when the price of gold fell below $300.00 an ounce. Production could begin again when the price rises enough to make it feasible to start digging again.

On old road Route 66 leaving Oatman (about 2-2 1/2 miles outside headed east),
Pass several old stone buildings that are crumbling on both sides of the road.
Just past the Gold Road Mine on the left,
Look for the Number 1 shaft on the right.
You should see a concrete bunker and a round log retaining wall both on the right.
Park in the turnout on the right.
You should see sign saying “Gold Road Mine, Do Not Enter.”
Take a reading of 206 degrees from the corner of the log retaining wall closest to the road.
Walk along the wall on the left till you see a white rock that doesn’t belong,
At the height where a 5’ 2” woman is at eye level.

If you don’t have a compass walk towards a set of old stairs that lead nowhere on the left.
Walk 23 steps east (back towards the road) from the base of the steps.
For a 5’ 2” woman it is at eye level in the long rock wall.
Look for a white rock in the wall that doesn’t belong with tire chunks around it.
Please return the rocks and tire chunks back where they were.
As always happy hunting!