Twin Falls-Owyhee-Cassia County ID Archives History .....History Of Distinct Towns And Mining Camps 
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Christine Storey chrissy_7@q.com November 11, 2011, 5:57 pm

               HISTORY OF DISTINCT TOWNS AND MINING CAMPS

  Gold Camps sprang up along the banks of the Snake River during the gold rush 
period's of the 1860s and 1870.

DRYTOWN

  In 1864  the mining town Drytown sprang up at the mouth of a 5 mile stream 
known as Dry Creek  that ran South of Murtaugh Lake in Cassia county and 
flowed North through Murtaugh Lake to empty into the Snake River. This creek 
was known to dry up in the summer. Drytown began as a single traders tent and 
later accommodated  restaurants, saloons, two general stores and a blacksmith.

MUDBARVILLE

  In 1870 a gold mining settlement, grew up at the mouth of Mud Creek 2.5 
miles South of Buhl which emptied into the Snake River. The creek was named 
for the muddy water. It died very early.

SHOSHONE CITY at the Little Shoshone (Twin Falls)

  This was the largest of the mining camps. It began with four canvas shanties 
and a tent and later had saloons, dance hall and two general stores, one at 
the bottom of the canyon and one on top of the canyon.

SPRINGTOWN

  Springtown sprang up in the 1860s and laid in the canyon east of Twin Falls 
near the Hansen Bridge  It grew over night when several hundreds of men poured 
into the area to pan for gold and for six years, it flourished, governed by a 
miner's court of swift rough justice and until the gold ran out. For fifty 
miles up and down the river miners would come to buy supplies and send out to 
the mints in California and Nevada their gold diggings and findings.

  There was nothing beautiful about the camp only huts made useable from 
material and rocks found laying around. A ladder hung on the canyon wall for a 
way to exit the canyon, A ferry boat also ferried men and goods across the 
river. Men of every type, color and physical description passed through the 
camp and last names were not used, men were known by first names, nicknames or 
by a physical characteristic. Very few lasting friendships ever occurred.

  Later Chinese came and worked the diggings left by the miners and being 
exceptional good miners and hard workers were able to find suitable amounts of 
gold, but this to ended.

  Springtown began and passed away in to the deserted shadowed canyon with its 
secrets and unmarked graves forever buried.

WATERBURG

  Like its sister Mudbarville also died in infancy.

 

  Snake River Canyon holds many secrets and stories. It was a tough period of 
time and a cruel river. Today it still holds its secrets and can still be 
cruel but is breathtaking with its beauty and if you listen well perhaps you 
can still hear the voices echoing through the wall 's of the canyon from the 
past.



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