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HomeMy Public PortalAboutGhost Towns - Grahamv• `7-4/ p kza--/ 73 Pa9e e f 4/ /sty r-s Ghastly Tied to London GRAHAM — Rusty square nails, bits of purple glass, and the remnants of once -sturdy log cabins are all that re- main of a London -financed, million -dol- lar mining venture near the Sawtooth Wilderness. In the midst of the cabin ruins re- main bits of the lives of the 300 men and 41 ladies who once made their home at Graham, such as pieces of a white china saucer which bears the name of a London firm. The ruins, no longer distinguishable as a saloon, boarding house, or miner's cabin, have tiny trees sprouting through the once sturdy walls. In every gully behind each cabin are rusted square tin cans which crumble beneath a hiking boot. Chunks of mining equipment are so rusted that it is impossible to deter- mine the original purpose. The once booming mining town of Graham is now 'a small campsite on the North Fork of the Boise River, about 80 miles north of Boise. The rocky road to Graham climbs to 8,000 feet before it drops to the river. The landscape around the one-time town is painted in red, purple, yellow, and white by wild flowers speckling the forest. There are the strange or- ange mushrooms poking from the ground like displaced Florida oranges. These have been nibbled by some crea- ture with a large and very uneven bite. Graham now is a lovely place for camping, best for tenters. The rough road discourages trailer campers. There are two small campsites near the one-time town. Fishing is good on the North Fork of the Boise River. In 1885 Matthew Graham, an Atlanta silver miner,believed the area around Silver Mountain deserved exploration. At that time there was not much at- tention given to the dull red out- croppings which attracted Graham's interest. Graham was a good promoter with experience in selling Atlanta mines in both New York and London. His backers agreed to finance the Sil- ver Mountain venture. In Boise, The Statesman reported: "It is evident that the new discovery will eclipse any of the older quartz dis- coveries in Idaho." THE CORNER OF AN OLD CABIN at Graham reveals the sturdy co by a ,builder without using' nails. Poking around in the logs that h from the cabin, one can find remnants of the miner's lives. The Atlanta News was even more en- thusiastic about Graham's venture de- claring, "The ledges of Silver district are simply enormous." Exploration began early in 1886, with two shifts of miners who drove a tun- nel some 240 feet to strike a vein at Photos, Story by Mary ,lane Williams • ti out 200 feet beneath the surface. Re- sults appeared to be favorable enough !v;'that Matthew Graham managed to in- terest London capitalists. In 1887 a $15,000 road was completed to the min- ing camp and a 500-_foot exploratory tunnel was completed. The vein contained what was inter- preted to be ore worth $30 to $50 a ton with a richer zone six feet wide report- ed worth $90 a ton. The news encouraged the mining group which undertook the devel- opment of an elegant 20 stamp mill. About 150 men were employed. Wages at Graham were $4 a day for miners, and $3.50 for outside workers, with $7 for carpenters and stonema- sons. The rates, which were unusually high, reflected the difficulty of getting skilled labor to work in the remote dis- trict. Some 50 to 60 men worked through the winter of 1888, as the Silver Moun- tain boom reached its peak. The new town of Graham boasted six saloons, one store, five boarding houses, one restaurant, two blacksmith shops, a jail, and a butcher shop. It also had a justice of the peace, two faro games, 300 men and 41 ladies. By August of 1888, the mill was com- pleted with a mile -long tramway to haul ore from the mine to the mill. There were even telephones connecting the mine and mill. The only thing lacking in the whole production was valuable ore. After a few trial runs, the mill shut down. Gra- ham spent the winter in London ar- ranging for more British capital. While Graham was on his way to London an attachment for unpaid debts led the county sheriff to take over the mine. It is said that those who stayed on at e mining village that winter "had a gay old time." The watchman was the only one with anything to do at all, and that was not a very taxing job. June of 1889 brought three English mining engineers to examine the prop- erty. They were reported pleased with the prospects and approved the 6,000- foot tunnel which Graham wanted. However, London money in the Idaho venture had run out and the Graham t mining property was sold at three sep- a arate sheriff's sales held in August at Graham, in September at Rocky Bar, and in November at Idaho City. At the final sale, the $350,000 mill was sold for $9,500. The tramway, buildings, and mines brought only $500. It was estimated $1 million had been spent in the search for gold and silver at Graham. 1'er f p 14. dy �Qgrs THIS ROAD LEADS to the Graham Airstrip after winding past the U.S. Forest Service Guard Station at the site of the mining boom town of Graham. 7.7h e44a = S746" 74e: P7 �Iyi ..,.Nr THIS MAY HAVE been the saloon, butcher shop, or black- ,?/..2o'/ 73 p 3 07C 44 /--gcJ..4+s s THE NORTH FORK OF THE BOISE RIVER where once miners and their ladies got the water for the necessities of life in a mining camp. The photo was taken from the Graham Bridge, near the old mining town. smith shop. There is nothing left to distinguish one cabin from another at the extinct town of Graham. &ako ,5fa7I'esm ar- i7,2e/73 ALL THAT REMAINS of Matthew Graham's $1 million dream to bring out both gold and silver ore is this brick wall at the milling site and crumbling cabins at the site of Graham.