10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
10/20/2011
Landmark information
- Location:
Plaque at W roadside rest, State Hwy 49 (PM 5.6), 1.6 mi N of Jackson; mine sites located across Hwy 49 - Plaque:
Official State Plaque - Site:
Existing - Date First Visited:
3/1/1996 - Date Most Recently Visited:
10/20/2011 - GPS Coordinates:
Plaque: N 38 21.896, W 120 47.241; Mine: N 38 22.058, W 120 46.833 - Other Designations:
National Register of Historic Places
About this landmark
Plaque text:
Argonaut and Kennedy Mines
Argonaut Mine, discovered 1850, and Kennedy Mine, discovered 1856, played dramatic roles in the economic development of California. They produced $105,268,760 in gold. Kennedy Mine has a vertical shaft of 5,912 feet, the deepest in the United States and changed mining methods in the Mother Lode. Argonaut Mine was the scene of the Mother Lode's most tragic mine disaster. Forty-eight miners were trapped in a fire at the 3,500 foot level on August 27, 1922 -- a few survived. Both mines closed in 1942.