The Washington Mine, operated as a "hardrock" or "lode" gold and silver mine
beginning in the early 1880s, provides an excellent example of the methods, equipment, lifestyles and hardships of the underground mining era of Summit
County. The mine is located in Illinois Gulch on Barney Ford Hill, just south of Breckenridge off
Boreas Pass Road.
Once gold and silver were discovered in the mountains of Summit County in the
late 1870s, literally hundreds of underground mines of all sizes and
descriptions sprang up in areas such as Breckenridge, Montezuma, Frisco and
surrounding regions. Capital was raised, and shafts, adits, tunnels and
drifts were driven to recover the gold. The Washington was, in the mid-1880s, one of the area's largest, employing over 30 men. 
Five main shafts and over 10,000 feet of underground workings
brought the gold/silver ore to the surface where it was handsorted and then
sent by wagon to the mine's concentration mill. While the 1880s through about 1905 were
the mine's heyday, it was worked intermittently until the 1960s, sometimes with long periods of idleness.
Cornish miners drilled and blasted the ore, muckers loaded the blasted ore
into one-ton carts, and trammers pushed the loaded carts to the surface.
Simultaneously, blacksmiths sharpened drill steels, repaired tools
and laid steel track in the mine, while Scandinavian timbermen shored up the
workings with timbers cut from local forests. Through it all, the
superstitious Cornish miners treated their underground gremlins - the "Tommy
Knockers" - with kid gloves and offerings of food to insure that their
underground mischief did not cause damage or loss of life.
The SHS tour of the Washington Mine takes visitors through several typical buildings
of this mine's "headworks" including the original shafthouse atop two of the
mine's original shafts, a typical prospector's cabin, the hoist- and steam-
generation equipment, and the tramway to the "tipple" where ore brought to
the surface was handsorted and loaded into wagons. SHS guides show and
describe literally dozens of pieces of original equipment, explain the
lifestyles and hardships of the men and their families who lived in this era,
and take visitors for a tour of a typical "working" mine.
The Washington Mine, combined with the SHS tour of the property, offers a
great opportunity to capture the spirit and to learn about the early
hardrock mining boom of Summit County.
Directions: The Washington Mine is located at 465 Illinois Gulch Road just off Boreas Pass Road. From Blue River Plaza in the center of Breckenridge, proceed south on Main Street (toward Hoosier Pass and Fairplay) approximately one-half mile to the stoplight at Boreas Pass Road. A Conoco gas station is on the right (west) side of the road. Turn left onto Boreas Pass Road and proceed 1.1 miles to Illinois Gulch Road (County Road 518), located on a sharp turn in the road. Turn right onto
Illinois Gulch Road and proceed 1/4 to 1/2 mile to the mine site parking lot on the left. A sign as well as old mine
structures are clearly visible from the road.
Please allow about 20 minutes driving time from the center of Breckenridge to be on time for the mine tour.