The Crystal Gold Mine: In the Silver Valley of Idaho “The Big Blind Special!”

By Raymond D. Cropp

How is it possible an old West gold mine stayed hidden for over a century especially since she is located near the heart of the Coeur d'Alene Mining District in Idaho? Well, as my wife Sherry is quite often known to say, "Here's the story!"

Retired miner Bill Lane and his wife Judy traveled the northwest of the United States for several years in hopes to preserve an old mine for educating the public. In 1996, they found what they have been looking for in Kellogg, Idaho.

Things started off as planned until some locals became upset. It didn't sit well with them believing these outsiders came along and created what they consider to be a fictitious story centered around an old sloughed-in mine.

My wife Sherry and I have always been known to take a gamble and have experienced many awesome adventures over the years. My career in the United States Navy, her career in banking, and raising ostriches have left us with fond memories. However, when we purchased the mine property from Bill Lane in 2012 and reopened the old historic gold mine tour, the perception of awesome takes on a whole new meaning.

During our decade of owning and operating the Crystal Gold Mine Tours, many folks have asked us for more information about our history. This is in response to those many requests during those wonderful years. It's time to lay down and expose the hand we were dealt, along with taking the opportunity to set a few local folks straight. It turns out, some of them are nothing but a bunch of "modern-day claim jumpers!" And the true history of the Crystal Gold Mine in Kellogg, Idaho is at stake.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9798886160918

Book preview

cover.jpg

The Crystal Gold Mine

In the Silver Valley of Idaho aEURoeThe Big Blind Special!aEUR

Raymond D. Cropp

ISBN 979-8-88616-090-1 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-89043-353-4 (hardcover)

ISBN 979-8-88616-091-8 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Raymond D. Cropp

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1

The Deal

Chapter 2

The Flop

Chapter 3

The Turn

Chapter 4

The River

Chapter 5

The Call

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Thank you to all the schools, home schools, tourist agencies, Silver Valley Chamber of Commerce, Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce, Dave Smith Motors, Silver Mountain Resort, Lookout Pass Resort, Coeur d'Alene Resort, Aero Point Resort, Stone Ridge Resort, Johnson's Gems, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, summer camps, geologists, local businesses, and our friends and family that continue to support our efforts to help us preserve and share the Crystal Gold Mine's unique history—North Idaho's hidden treasure!

A special thanks to our wonderful tour guides, along with family and friends who have been a major part of this amazing adventure: Ray Pappy Cropp, Louanne Lo-Lo Cropp, Dave Bozo Clausen, Craig Bird Man Nester, Joshua Nugget Cropp, Cory Cropp, Jayson Cropp, Lydia Little Bit Cropp, Jeff Cooper, Tom Karst, Howard Gentleman Jack Griffin, Terry Three-Finger Jack Pennington and Heidi Pennington, Richard Nelson, Chris Too Tall Wellman, James Brown, Wyatt Grey, Tim Holbert, John Schwartz, Don Johnson, Christopher Gazoo Hall, Joshua Cox, Dennis and Brenda Blankenship, Edward Anderson, Lucas Lucky Howard, Dale Blankenship, Gail Haynes, John Nearing, Bill Whacked-out Willie Cleveland, Frank Durham, Dick Jones, Bonnie Parker, and the rest of our incredible family. You are the reason we have been able to steer the course toward true north!

In loving memory of my grandma Dorothy Phillips Miller and my mother Dorothy Dell Cropp.

Introduction

As a squadron ground maintenance officer in the Navy, I was directly responsible for overseeing the maintenance effort on the EA-6B Prowler aircraft home based out of Whidbey Island, Washington. If an unfortunate incident occurred, we often asked ourselves, What's the Paul Harvey? Meaning, what is the rest of the story? Who, what, when, where, why, and how did it happen? Quite often, human complacency ended up being the reason. When a person sees or does the same thing every day, we easily overlook something that is right in front of our noses. A new person with a fresh set of eyes is always helpful in noticing things others have missed. However, in this story, there are human behaviors that kind of make me go Hmm…, and I still find the Paul Harvey approach to be helpful, as my wife Sherry and I, among other folks, continue our quest for the truth. A true history, with a mystery.

It was the summer of 1879 when gold prospector Tom Irwin and his partner William Dobson lived in their miner's cabin. The cabin was situated somewhere near the mouth of Montgomery Gulch, in Shoshone County, Idaho Territory. I was blessed with a view of that area through my office window for a little over a decade. After 130 to 140 plus years later, that is. Whereas, I often dreamed about how Montgomery Creek used to flow into the south fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, surrounded by steep mountain forest and our beautiful green valley.

Today, as I share this story, I still wonder how Tom and William were hosting some visitors that were supposedly just traveling through to Montana. You see, earlier that January, Tom Irwin had crossed paths with a friend named Andrew Prichard near Spokane Falls. According to Mr. Prichard, they were discussing their prospecting up the south fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. Tom Irwin mentioned that some men heading through to Montana were eating him out. He must have talked that way, as I relate that to mean eating him out of house and home these days.

Who were those men? When were they actually here and for how long? And were they really just passing through? Andrew Prichard was credited for the first gold discovery in the Coeur d'Alene Mining District. Some folks believe Tom Irwin should have been the one to receive that credit. Hmm… Mr. Prichard, seems to me, was somewhat of a boisterous character, as I read about those events. I also read tales where some folks were ready to hang him. Then later, Mr. Prichard went on and staked numerous mining claims for supposed friends and investors that weren't even here yet. His actions ultimately triggered the gold rush here in 1883.

Did Tom really want Andrew to know what they were up to? What's the Paul Harvey? No one knows anything for certain, so I surely wouldn't put it past Tom that he possibly didn't fully trust Andrew Prichard.

I bet they played a lot of poker in that small cabin. Dumping some gold out of their pokes from the day's diggings. Get the cards! one would yell. I would have really enjoyed being in there with them. In those days, the game of choice was five-card stud. These days, my game of choice is Texas Hold'em. So to share our story, I am taking the liberty to use that analogy. Let's just see how the hand we were dealt plays out.

Chapter 1

The Deal

Mine portal 1993 courtesy of Edward Anderson

While snooping around an old boarded-up mine portal in the summer of 1993, a middle-aged man approached asking, What are you doing?

Bill Lane shared that he was visiting his brother here in Kellogg, and he was interested in learning more about this mine. The man responded, There isn't much in there, and it doesn't even go in very far.

Bill shared with us the man who told him that is a local geologist named Fred W. Brackebucsh. At the time, he was the president of the New Jersey Mining Company across the river a little way east from here. Hmm…

Bill and his wife Judy had been on a long quest to preserve mining history. An old mine that was