Horseshoe Bar Middle Fork American River, Placer County
Horseshoe Bar is upon the Middle Fork of the American River, about two miles below Stony Bar, and about three miles from Bird's Valley. Here was cut the first bedrock tunnel in the State. The work of cutting the Horseshoe Tunnel was commenced in the month of February, by a company composed of seventeen men, under the leadership of a gentleman from Maine, named Butterfield. The company was organized at a mining camp in El Dorado County, then called. "Bald Hill," and known as the Horse-shoe Bar Tunnel Company. The object of the company was to turn the water through the narrow ridge into a race leading from the mouth of the tunnel to the lower end of the bar near the mouth of Mad Canon, and thus drain the bed of the river for a distance of about one mile and a half. The company persevered in their undertaking until the first object draining the water from the river bed-was accomplished, with the labor of the members, and at the completion of the work people had so much confidence in the success of the enterprise, shares were sold at 85,000 each.
But the limited knowledge of the miners at that day of the science of mining, and the great disadvantages which they labored under for the want of proper tools and machinery to work with, together with the high prices of labor, caused the enterprise to fail, and the adventurous men who performed the vast
labor of cutting a tunnel twelve feet wide and six feet high, through the hill, in solid slate of the hardest quality, were compelled to lose their whole year's work. In anticipation of the completion of the tunnel and the opening of the diggings in the bed of the stream to miners on the share, hundreds of them had flocked to the bar, and quite a town was built of tents, board shanties, etc. But the early rains of September of that year demolished the frail dam which had been thrown across the river when the water was low, and there being no mines open for the crowd of laborers, who had been lying around waiting for a chance to work among the boulders in the channels, where they could make their ounce per day, the camp was soon deserted and the miners scattered off to the mines on the hills and in the gulches of El Dorado and Placer counties.
The river has been worked every year since with varied success; but the prospects obtained one year were never sufficient to induce the miner of one year, whether successful or not, to try the river again the next year." At the present time there are a large number of permanent settlers upon the different bars upon this part of the river, from the mouth of Mad Carton to Stony Bar, and the miners are making good wages the whole year round.
But the limited knowledge of the miners at that day of the science of mining, and the great disadvantages which they labored under for the want of proper tools and machinery to work with, together with the high prices of labor, caused the enterprise to fail, and the adventurous men who performed the vast
labor of cutting a tunnel twelve feet wide and six feet high, through the hill, in solid slate of the hardest quality, were compelled to lose their whole year's work. In anticipation of the completion of the tunnel and the opening of the diggings in the bed of the stream to miners on the share, hundreds of them had flocked to the bar, and quite a town was built of tents, board shanties, etc. But the early rains of September of that year demolished the frail dam which had been thrown across the river when the water was low, and there being no mines open for the crowd of laborers, who had been lying around waiting for a chance to work among the boulders in the channels, where they could make their ounce per day, the camp was soon deserted and the miners scattered off to the mines on the hills and in the gulches of El Dorado and Placer counties.
The river has been worked every year since with varied success; but the prospects obtained one year were never sufficient to induce the miner of one year, whether successful or not, to try the river again the next year." At the present time there are a large number of permanent settlers upon the different bars upon this part of the river, from the mouth of Mad Carton to Stony Bar, and the miners are making good wages the whole year round.
How I got involved with the Gold Country Miners
Back in 1996, I was recommended to Dennis Raff, who was with the LDMA and GPAA groups. After hearing about my prospecting skills and knowledge, he contacted me via phone and asked if I would meet him on this property to prospect it and give my evaluation as to whether or not start a new gold mining club called, Gold Country Miners. I met him on the Horseshoe and in the pouring rain, I set up my high banker and began working on the knoll behind the boxcar. At night we slept in the boxcar with the bats and racoons. For two nights we laughed, joked and did what miners do best. I explored more of the property the next day and found it to be one of the nicest places I had ever been to. Sunday night I cleaned out my sluice and found more gold than what I had expected. I was sold. I gave Dennis my highest recommendations. He asked me if I would like to be a staff member for him. How could I refuse? I attended all the county fairs, sporting shows, Cal Expo and various other mining and prospecting clubs in the Sacramento and San Francisco Bay Areas promoting memberships. Giving tours of the property and panning lessons it earned me a permanent camp that I could call my own. This was the most enjoyable thing I had ever been involved with. Thank you Dennis and Brenda Raff for the good times. The Horseshoe will forever be my fondest of memories.
Prospecting at Horseshoe Bar.
In 2000, I met Lorie, I showed her the property on my ATV and she fell in love
with the "Shoe". She started to put her artistic women's touch on my almost
finished western town campsite. She started to come to the "river" every weekend
with me rain or shine, heat or freezing snow. She never missed a weekend.
Lorie became so comfortable being there, I left her alone for 5 days twice while
I went back home to work. How many guys meet a woman that loves the outdoors and not afraid to stay by herself, shows interests and supports my Gold prospecting?
Thinking, I might have a keeper.
In 2002, I filed a claim with Placer County entitling me all the rights and privileges to Lorie and all her mineral resources. Our wedding ceremony was held in our camp "Gold Springs".
with the "Shoe". She started to put her artistic women's touch on my almost
finished western town campsite. She started to come to the "river" every weekend
with me rain or shine, heat or freezing snow. She never missed a weekend.
Lorie became so comfortable being there, I left her alone for 5 days twice while
I went back home to work. How many guys meet a woman that loves the outdoors and not afraid to stay by herself, shows interests and supports my Gold prospecting?
Thinking, I might have a keeper.
In 2002, I filed a claim with Placer County entitling me all the rights and privileges to Lorie and all her mineral resources. Our wedding ceremony was held in our camp "Gold Springs".
We got married in our camp at Horseshoe Bar 9/21/02
Our Campsite we called "Gold Springs"
We built a town in our camp basically to hold back the dust from the road. We kept expanding and soon it became "Gold Springs". We had a Blacksmith, Wells Fargo, Saloon, General Mercantile, Telegraph Office, Sheriff Office and a Jail.
Reb and Lorie's Campsite (Gold Springs) at Horseshoe Bar our Home Away From Home
For several years Gold Springs was a popular place to gather for monthly potlucks during the dredge season. There were usually about 75-100 people attending. Enjoying the food, our great raffles and the occasional after dark poker game.