In 1874, the cry of “Gold in the Black Hills” brought a cross-section of Americans to their feet after Custer confirmed that it could be plucked from the streams. The mind’s eye often only focuses on the romance and drama of the mining environment; men panning in the streams for gold, prospectors scrutinizing every crevice and rock in remote gulches and mountain tops, but in reality a gold rush mobilizes a plethora of skills, talents, and educational backgrounds, many of which were mute and unsung but as crucial as the miner. This is the story of such a man, Deadwood’s first assayer. Chambers C. Davis arrived in Deadwood... READ THE FULL STORY
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Deadwood's first Assayer
By Jerry L. Bryant, RPA
In 1874, the cry of “Gold in the Black Hills” brought a cross-section of Americans to their feet after Custer confirmed that it could be plucked from the streams. The mind’s eye often only focuses on the romance and drama of the mining environment; men panning in the streams for gold, prospectors scrutinizing every crevice and rock in remote gulches and mountain tops, but in reality a gold rush mobilizes a plethora of skills, talents, and educational backgrounds, many of which were mute and unsung but as crucial as the miner. This is the story of such a man, Deadwood’s first assayer. Chambers C. Davis arrived in Deadwood... READ THE FULL STORY
In 1874, the cry of “Gold in the Black Hills” brought a cross-section of Americans to their feet after Custer confirmed that it could be plucked from the streams. The mind’s eye often only focuses on the romance and drama of the mining environment; men panning in the streams for gold, prospectors scrutinizing every crevice and rock in remote gulches and mountain tops, but in reality a gold rush mobilizes a plethora of skills, talents, and educational backgrounds, many of which were mute and unsung but as crucial as the miner. This is the story of such a man, Deadwood’s first assayer. Chambers C. Davis arrived in Deadwood... READ THE FULL STORY