Utica Mine Time Books, 1885 - 1889

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1885: UTICA MINE HISTORY

MINES AND MINERAL RESOURCES OF CALAVERAS COUNTY, CALIFORNIA,
County Report 2, California Division of Mines and Geology, Ferry Building, San Francisco, 1962

One of the best-known gold producers of the Mother Lode belt, the Utica Mine is a consolidation of the Brown, Confidence, Dead Horse, Jackson, Little Nuggett, Raspberry, Stickle, Utica, and Washington claims. The surface of the Utica claim was mined during the early part of the gold rush, and the ore was treated in arrastres. The Stickle claim was active during the 1860s. In 1871 it had been developed to a depth of 240 feet and was equipped with a 10-stamp mill (Mining and Scientific Press, 3/18/71, p. 163). The Confidence claim was active in the 1880s, and its ore was treated in a five-stamp mill. Later C. D. Lane gained control of the Utica claim. Hobart and Hayward, who controlled numerous mines in the area, were brought in as partners during the 1880s, and shortly afterward the Utica Mining Company was organized. The other claims that now constitute the property were gradually acquired, and the mine was developed on a major scale. During the 1890s the Utica was one of the most productive gold mines in the nation, the output from Jam iry 1893 to September 1895 was $4,154,026 (Logan, 193 p. 150). More than 500 men were on the payroll. Operations continued until late in 1915 when the mine was shut down. Except for mill cleanups and small amount of gold recovered from the dump in the 1930s, the mine has been idle since. It is credited with a total production mined at nearly $17, 000,000 at the old price of gold.
(Jowen and Crippen,1948, p. 55).

Utica Mine Time Book images, courtesy of Angels Camp Museum collection, thank you!
Angels Camp Museum , Angels Camp Museum Foundation