V.

Mining Communities

Gold rushes took place in the present-day states of Colorado, Nevada, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska. Wherever a gold strike was made, hundreds of miners would gather to stake their claims and build a camp. Few women or children accompanied the miners to these communities. With names like Whiskey Bar, Jackass Gulch, Poker Flat, or Flapjack Canyon, each camp had its own saloon and gambling house. The miners often lived in shanties constructed of old cloth tacked to wood frames. Many miners’ free time was devoted to drinking and gambling. Prices soared in the boom economy. Boots sold for $20 a pair, eggs for 50 cents each, and potatoes fetched $1 a pound.

Some frontier mining settlements would rise quickly and then disappear when the gold ran out. Others became established communities. Eventually, in a desire to create a more stable way of life, newspapers and literary societies were founded in these mining cities, and schools were built, even though there were few children to attend them. There were also theater performances and concerts.