Died at Centerville - could be Butte-Shasta maybe even Fresno county for death.
Sixty Years a Miner - Placer County's Veteran Gold Seeker - Fred Howell of the Hidden Treasure Is Believed to be the Oldest Miner in the State--The man who merits this distinction is Fred Howell Sr. who has charge of the sluice boxes and the clean-up at the Hidden Treasure, where operations in drift mining are conducted upon the largest scale of any gravel property in the state. He is a native of Wales and now is 66 years old. He began work at Dyffryn, Wales, as a gatekeeper in a coal mine when but six years of age. Next June will mark the end of a period of 60 years, during which time he has been continuously engaged in mining. Howell has been a prospector many years of his life and can well be called a typical miner. In the early days, like many of his class, he was prone to leave good-paying diggings in order to visit camps where still richer strikes were reported. As a practical miner, he has operated by all the various methods and has kept pace with the improvement in mining, from the primitive pick and pan, the rocker and ground-sluice, to drift mining by hydraulicking, and the successful working of gold-bearing quart. He is by no means a stranger to the vicissitudes common to the lot of the prospector. He has "struck it rich" many times and has as often been "dead broke." For the past 11 years, however, he has been a stockholder in the Hidden Treasure and is at present in easy circumstances. At 22--that was in 1851--Howell left his native land and went to Pennsylvania where he mined in the coal fields. He secured his naturalization papers in Kentucky in 1853. In April of the same year he reached Lexington, Missouri, where he was engaged to drive cattle and stated for California. He entered the Golden State by way of Beckwith Valley and Marysville. He went to Georgetown, El Dorado County, where he placed the first blast in the Georgetown ditch. Howell's next operations were at Spanish Flat where he commenced placer mining for gold in the winter of 1858. A map with lines traced showing the travels of this gray-haired miner in search of golden treasure would afford a novel sight. Howell has traveled from California to Caribou, B.C., to Utah, Montana, and to Oregon. In 1855 he worked at Volcano Bar opposite Forest Hill. In the fall of that year he located drift mines in Sierra County. He made a trip to the Frazer River country in 1858, returning to San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Oregon and was one of the 45 passengers who saved their lives by climbing the rocks at Point Reyes with the aid of ropes made from blankets. A trip was made to Wales in 1859, at which time Howell married Margaret Evens. He tried mining in Utah in 1862 but soon returned to Placer County. In 1864 he bought the Deidesheimer drift mine at Forest Hill, which had produced over $2,000,000, and with six men soon took out $80,000. He then tried the Caribou country in British Columbia but returned to Forest Hill the same year. In 1866 he bought a share in the famous Mountain Gate drift mine at Damascus, Placer County, but sold it eight months later. The spring of 1867 found him in Montana, from which place he again returned to Forest Hill. In 1892 he purchased a second share in the Hidden Treasure for his son, Fred Howell Jr. The mine has produced more than $1,600, with an approximate output for 1894 of $150,000. Although unquestionably the oldest practical and continuous gold miner in California, this gray-haired toiler cannot refrain from pursuing his lifelong habit of industry, and each day still finds him at his task, superintending the sluice-washing and clean-up at the Hidden Treasure Mine.
[Placer Herald, Auburn, 2-2-1895]
With graditude this article was furnished by:
Find A Grave contributor Kathie Kloss Marynik
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Sixty Years a Miner - Placer County's Veteran Gold Seeker - Fred Howell of the Hidden Treasure Is Believed to be the Oldest Miner in the State--The man who merits this distinction is Fred Howell Sr. who has charge of the sluice boxes and the clean-up at the Hidden Treasure, where operations in drift mining are conducted upon the largest scale of any gravel property in the state. He is a native of Wales and now is 66 years old. He began work at Dyffryn, Wales, as a gatekeeper in a coal mine when but six years of age. Next June will mark the end of a period of 60 years, during which time he has been continuously engaged in mining. Howell has been a prospector many years of his life and can well be called a typical miner. In the early days, like many of his class, he was prone to leave good-paying diggings in order to visit camps where still richer strikes were reported. As a practical miner, he has operated by all the various methods and has kept pace with the improvement in mining, from the primitive pick and pan, the rocker and ground-sluice, to drift mining by hydraulicking, and the successful working of gold-bearing quart. He is by no means a stranger to the vicissitudes common to the lot of the prospector. He has "struck it rich" many times and has as often been "dead broke." For the past 11 years, however, he has been a stockholder in the Hidden Treasure and is at present in easy circumstances. At 22--that was in 1851--Howell left his native land and went to Pennsylvania where he mined in the coal fields. He secured his naturalization papers in Kentucky in 1853. In April of the same year he reached Lexington, Missouri, where he was engaged to drive cattle and stated for California. He entered the Golden State by way of Beckwith Valley and Marysville. He went to Georgetown, El Dorado County, where he placed the first blast in the Georgetown ditch. Howell's next operations were at Spanish Flat where he commenced placer mining for gold in the winter of 1858. A map with lines traced showing the travels of this gray-haired miner in search of golden treasure would afford a novel sight. Howell has traveled from California to Caribou, B.C., to Utah, Montana, and to Oregon. In 1855 he worked at Volcano Bar opposite Forest Hill. In the fall of that year he located drift mines in Sierra County. He made a trip to the Frazer River country in 1858, returning to San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Oregon and was one of the 45 passengers who saved their lives by climbing the rocks at Point Reyes with the aid of ropes made from blankets. A trip was made to Wales in 1859, at which time Howell married Margaret Evens. He tried mining in Utah in 1862 but soon returned to Placer County. In 1864 he bought the Deidesheimer drift mine at Forest Hill, which had produced over $2,000,000, and with six men soon took out $80,000. He then tried the Caribou country in British Columbia but returned to Forest Hill the same year. In 1866 he bought a share in the famous Mountain Gate drift mine at Damascus, Placer County, but sold it eight months later. The spring of 1867 found him in Montana, from which place he again returned to Forest Hill. In 1892 he purchased a second share in the Hidden Treasure for his son, Fred Howell Jr. The mine has produced more than $1,600, with an approximate output for 1894 of $150,000. Although unquestionably the oldest practical and continuous gold miner in California, this gray-haired toiler cannot refrain from pursuing his lifelong habit of industry, and each day still finds him at his task, superintending the sluice-washing and clean-up at the Hidden Treasure Mine.
[Placer Herald, Auburn, 2-2-1895]
With graditude this article was furnished by:
Find A Grave contributor Kathie Kloss Marynik
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Died at Centerville - could be Butte-Shasta maybe even Fresno county for death.
Sixty Years a Miner - Placer County's Veteran Gold Seeker - Fred Howell of the Hidden Treasure Is Believed to be the Oldest Miner in the State--The man who merits this distinction is Fred Howell Sr. who has charge of the sluice boxes and the clean-up at the Hidden Treasure, where operations in drift mining are conducted upon the largest scale of any gravel property in the state. He is a native of Wales and now is 66 years old. He began work at Dyffryn, Wales, as a gatekeeper in a coal mine when but six years of age. Next June will mark the end of a period of 60 years, during which time he has been continuously engaged in mining. Howell has been a prospector many years of his life and can well be called a typical miner. In the early days, like many of his class, he was prone to leave good-paying diggings in order to visit camps where still richer strikes were reported. As a practical miner, he has operated by all the various methods and has kept pace with the improvement in mining, from the primitive pick and pan, the rocker and ground-sluice, to drift mining by hydraulicking, and the successful working of gold-bearing quart. He is by no means a stranger to the vicissitudes common to the lot of the prospector. He has "struck it rich" many times and has as often been "dead broke." For the past 11 years, however, he has been a stockholder in the Hidden Treasure and is at present in easy circumstances. At 22--that was in 1851--Howell left his native land and went to Pennsylvania where he mined in the coal fields. He secured his naturalization papers in Kentucky in 1853. In April of the same year he reached Lexington, Missouri, where he was engaged to drive cattle and stated for California. He entered the Golden State by way of Beckwith Valley and Marysville. He went to Georgetown, El Dorado County, where he placed the first blast in the Georgetown ditch. Howell's next operations were at Spanish Flat where he commenced placer mining for gold in the winter of 1858. A map with lines traced showing the travels of this gray-haired miner in search of golden treasure would afford a novel sight. Howell has traveled from California to Caribou, B.C., to Utah, Montana, and to Oregon. In 1855 he worked at Volcano Bar opposite Forest Hill. In the fall of that year he located drift mines in Sierra County. He made a trip to the Frazer River country in 1858, returning to San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Oregon and was one of the 45 passengers who saved their lives by climbing the rocks at Point Reyes with the aid of ropes made from blankets. A trip was made to Wales in 1859, at which time Howell married Margaret Evens. He tried mining in Utah in 1862 but soon returned to Placer County. In 1864 he bought the Deidesheimer drift mine at Forest Hill, which had produced over $2,000,000, and with six men soon took out $80,000. He then tried the Caribou country in British Columbia but returned to Forest Hill the same year. In 1866 he bought a share in the famous Mountain Gate drift mine at Damascus, Placer County, but sold it eight months later. The spring of 1867 found him in Montana, from which place he again returned to Forest Hill. In 1892 he purchased a second share in the Hidden Treasure for his son, Fred Howell Jr. The mine has produced more than $1,600, with an approximate output for 1894 of $150,000. Although unquestionably the oldest practical and continuous gold miner in California, this gray-haired toiler cannot refrain from pursuing his lifelong habit of industry, and each day still finds him at his task, superintending the sluice-washing and clean-up at the Hidden Treasure Mine.
[Placer Herald, Auburn, 2-2-1895]
With graditude this article was furnished by:
Find A Grave contributor Kathie Kloss Marynik
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Sixty Years a Miner - Placer County's Veteran Gold Seeker - Fred Howell of the Hidden Treasure Is Believed to be the Oldest Miner in the State--The man who merits this distinction is Fred Howell Sr. who has charge of the sluice boxes and the clean-up at the Hidden Treasure, where operations in drift mining are conducted upon the largest scale of any gravel property in the state. He is a native of Wales and now is 66 years old. He began work at Dyffryn, Wales, as a gatekeeper in a coal mine when but six years of age. Next June will mark the end of a period of 60 years, during which time he has been continuously engaged in mining. Howell has been a prospector many years of his life and can well be called a typical miner. In the early days, like many of his class, he was prone to leave good-paying diggings in order to visit camps where still richer strikes were reported. As a practical miner, he has operated by all the various methods and has kept pace with the improvement in mining, from the primitive pick and pan, the rocker and ground-sluice, to drift mining by hydraulicking, and the successful working of gold-bearing quart. He is by no means a stranger to the vicissitudes common to the lot of the prospector. He has "struck it rich" many times and has as often been "dead broke." For the past 11 years, however, he has been a stockholder in the Hidden Treasure and is at present in easy circumstances. At 22--that was in 1851--Howell left his native land and went to Pennsylvania where he mined in the coal fields. He secured his naturalization papers in Kentucky in 1853. In April of the same year he reached Lexington, Missouri, where he was engaged to drive cattle and stated for California. He entered the Golden State by way of Beckwith Valley and Marysville. He went to Georgetown, El Dorado County, where he placed the first blast in the Georgetown ditch. Howell's next operations were at Spanish Flat where he commenced placer mining for gold in the winter of 1858. A map with lines traced showing the travels of this gray-haired miner in search of golden treasure would afford a novel sight. Howell has traveled from California to Caribou, B.C., to Utah, Montana, and to Oregon. In 1855 he worked at Volcano Bar opposite Forest Hill. In the fall of that year he located drift mines in Sierra County. He made a trip to the Frazer River country in 1858, returning to San Francisco on the ill-fated steamer Oregon and was one of the 45 passengers who saved their lives by climbing the rocks at Point Reyes with the aid of ropes made from blankets. A trip was made to Wales in 1859, at which time Howell married Margaret Evens. He tried mining in Utah in 1862 but soon returned to Placer County. In 1864 he bought the Deidesheimer drift mine at Forest Hill, which had produced over $2,000,000, and with six men soon took out $80,000. He then tried the Caribou country in British Columbia but returned to Forest Hill the same year. In 1866 he bought a share in the famous Mountain Gate drift mine at Damascus, Placer County, but sold it eight months later. The spring of 1867 found him in Montana, from which place he again returned to Forest Hill. In 1892 he purchased a second share in the Hidden Treasure for his son, Fred Howell Jr. The mine has produced more than $1,600, with an approximate output for 1894 of $150,000. Although unquestionably the oldest practical and continuous gold miner in California, this gray-haired toiler cannot refrain from pursuing his lifelong habit of industry, and each day still finds him at his task, superintending the sluice-washing and clean-up at the Hidden Treasure Mine.
[Placer Herald, Auburn, 2-2-1895]
With graditude this article was furnished by:
Find A Grave contributor Kathie Kloss Marynik
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
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