World War II and its Effects on Mining in Oregon

World War II caused a tremendous slow down for gold mining in this state. For the duration of 1942, the War Production Board passed an order that was titled L-208 and this order stopped all of the mining that was not absolutely essential and gold mining was considered to being non essential during this time. This order was then annulled on July 1, 1945. This order also caused the shutting down of the Benton Mine on Whiskey Creek and this was one of the county’s largest mines and where the biggest mining operations took place. 

From 1852 to 1966 the total amount of gold production was something like $134,000,000. In 1959 though, Oregon was only able to produce $15,000 in gold. Throughout the beginning of the seventies and eighties when gold accomplished its greatest increase, there was a little bit of hype when it came to prospecting. A lot of prospectors decided to purchase little dredges and decided to go to hills and streams yet again eager to redeem on some of the precious yellow.

A great number of gold mines had been worked on in the south of Oregon ever since 1849. The placer mines of the Rogue River had yielded literally millions of dollars of the precious metal gold, and a good number of them were advantageously worked on. Ever since 1862, eastern Oregon had directly pursued, if, without a doubt, it had not surpassed southern Oregon when it came to its production of gold.

The mines of Grant and Baker counties had graded in the midst of the most excellent of the Pacific coast throughout the 19th century. Despite the fact that the old placers were thought to be just about worn by the ending of the 1800's, new ones from time to time were revealed, and a very great quantity of gold was produced every year from these findings. As well as the placer mines, quartz gold mines and silver mines were worked also worked on, and there is a good amount of gold output from these mines as well.