Photos from my retro photo album titled: Vulture Gold Mine, Feb 2008.
The Vulture Mine outside of Wickenburg, Arizona was the most productive gold mine in Arizona history. From 1863 to 1942 the mine produced 340,000 ounces (9,638.8 kgs) of gold and 260,000 ounces (7,370.9 kgs) of silver. I’m having a hard time visualizing what those values look like, so I found a handy-dandy chart to get my mind rolling:
So, using this analogy, 340,000 ounces of gold is equal to 226,666 shots, 28,333 beers, or 68,000 glasses of wine. Indeed, that sounds like a lot of gold! I wonder how much that added up in dollars….
A quick Google search answered that question: $70 million. The mine was owned by Henry Wickenburg and he died by a gunshot wound to the head in 1905. His death was deemed a suicide, but many questioned this ruling. This sounds like a story that has the makings for an HBO show. And here’s some pictures I took there that could be used in the show’s intro:
My books Memory Road Trip (e-book or paperback) and Time Traveled (e-book or paperback) are both available! You can also find them at most major international book sites.
Krista Marson 