Gem Mining

We went to Reed's Gem Mine to learn a bit about

the history of local mining

and see if we could come up with a nugget of our own!

The museum features some of the machines

used in days gone by.

Artifacts from the turn of the century are displayed.

This corridor leads to the underground mine.

One of the streams that folks could be found 

"panning" years ago.

Here we go!

Brrrrrrrrrrr...

Here's one of the shafts looking up.

It's incredible to think that men worked in these mines

all day and into the night

every day of their lives.

Good to see the sun again!

A separate building houses some of the equipment

built on site and used to do the work.

We marveled to think that these machines

and the building itself were all forged by hand.

Sure makes us grateful for the life of ease we have today...