Copper Mountain Traditional Cache
oilcanman: The site of this Cache is now part of the mine property and has been removed.
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In 1888 a native Indian, Bob Jamieson and his father set out to hunt deer on the southern slope of what is today known as Copper Mountain. As they climbed the mountainside, the elder Jamieson stumbled, in doing so his foot dislodged a tuff of moss. Beneath it was shining copper ore, they did not stake a claim to the bonanza.
In 1890's a long, lean, wry-faced man, R.A. "Sunset" Brown he traced Jamiesons footsteps and staked the "Sunset" Copper Mt. of today. Sunset Brown recorded his claims, packed up his tent and went away. He allowed them to lapse, and surprisingly enough nobody else took them up. In 1896 "Sunset" shuffled back, restaked his claims, set to work and exposed a large body of good-value copper ore.
It was not until 1925, 37 years after the elder Jamieson stumbled that Copper Mt. came into its own.
In 1925, the American owned Granby Consolidated Mining Smelting and Power Company bought the property. Copper Mt and the Princeton district boomed to new and great heights. Way up on top of a mountain 12 miles out of Princeton a town was doing well. Copper mountain was a very happy town, a safe town, out of the way of the world troubles. 1,500 people lived and worked at Copper Mt at one time when times were good.
But all the happiness ended on April 30, 1957 and the troubles began, when the Granby Mine closed down. It takes a while for a town to die. Copper Mt had been dying for four years already but her citizens didn't recognize the malady as fatel. The company kept claiming that the ore was too poor to justify the operation, the union kept claiming that it was a gimmick to hold down wages.
Similco Mining moved their mining operation across the river in 1981, and began a large strip mine operation which lasted until November 30, 1996.
In 2009 the Copper Mountain Project, has began construction of new buildings, now in 2010 construction is well under way with the mine expected to be in production in 2011.
Cache is a short distance from where the mine will be. If the gate is not closed one can drive up to the mine site parking lot.
Cache is car friendly. Park off to the side as there may be truck traffic.
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Treasures
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