In California, after 10 years of mining, the Gold Rush of 1849 was winding down. Prospectors were eager to find new areas to search. According to Idaho: An illustrated History, "Nevada, Colorado, and British Columbia showed promise as mining regions in 1858-1859, and Idaho followed in 1860." Placer gold was found in Clearwater county in Idaho in 1860. And the gold rush was on! This resulted in the development of Idaho Territory which did not become a state until 1890.
We know that James Moriarty followed the gold rush to British Columbia although we don't know how he arrived there from Australia or New Zealand. We also know, from the article sent to me by the Idaho Historical Society, that he arrived in Idaho Territiory in 1863 and in Placerville on July 14.
Placerville was part of Boise basin where gold was discovered on August 2, 1862 - the Boise basin became the major mining region of the Northwest in 1863 and 1864. It had a population of 20,000 during its heyday - making it Idaho's largest mining community. Beginning with Pioneerville ... on October 7, 1862, several communities sprang up in the basin during the winter, and for the next few years, Idaho City, Placerville, and Centerville were the leading camps of Idaho.
The website - www.boisebasinhistory.com - reports that this was "one of the greatest gold rushes the world has ever seen….the richest strike in America. It is estimated that more than $250,000,000 was taken from this area in the two decades following its discovery….greater than the California 49er and of the Klondike in Alaska. It is reported that Gold from the Boise Basin helped to strengthen the Union treasury during the most crucial days of the Civil War, perhaps preserving the United States." And James Moriarty was there in Boise basin for all the excitement!
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Idaho: An Illustrated History tells us what life was like for James - “... eighty miles of ditches, dug in time for the 1863 placer season around Idaho City, provided water for big production right from the beginning. A hydraulic giant (a large metal fire hose that took water from a high ditch to a high bar of gold-bearing gravel, and cut away the gravel with tremendous force) already was in production on Elk Creek near Idaho City; five men operating it recovered $1400 a week. With several million dollars’ worth of gold to their credit in 1863, the placer miners of Boise basin had capital to get ready for a still bigger season in 1864."
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| Mining with Hydraulic Giant in boise Basin near Idaho City |
“A mild winter, with less than enough snow to provide water for a long placer operation in 1864, complicated the situation in Boise basin. An extremely dry winter in northern California drove thousands of miners out to look for other placers, though, and in the spring of 1864, Boise basin was the place for them to head for. Five or six hundred hopeful miners arrived each week. With a surplus of men on hand, and with adverse water conditions known in advance, operations went on day and night without stopping while water was available. Richer claims, each worked by several men, turned out a thousand dollars a day that way. More than thirty large fires, each lighting a different claim visible at night from Idaho City, made a grand view. Such operations went on for miles. Then by early May around Placerville and by early June around Idaho City, the streams turned to mud. With the better claims still less than half worked out, placer mining came to a halt for another year." So James had an early but productive season in 1864. I just wonder how he did financially?
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| Bringing Mining equipment into Boise basin |
But as always, placer mining eventually fell into a decline. The peak years for the Boise basin were 1863 to 1866 so James Moriarty had again been in the right place at the right time.
"A gold rush to Leesburg that year (1866), followed by a gold rush to Loon creek in 1869, renewed the placer era ... A stampede from Bannock, Montana, August 18, brought a tide of eager prospectors to the new district, and after some initial disappointment, five or six hundred miners prepared to spend the winter at Leesburg. Five stores, three butcher shops, and a blacksmith shop already served the new community."
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| Leesburg in 1870 |
"Cabins were also built at Salmon, which originated that fall as a supply center in the valley below. Winter communication from Salmon to Leesburg proved rough: finally an eighteen-mile toll trail, with a twelve-man shoveling crew hired to open the route, offered access by pack train, March 8, 1867. Supplies of bacon had run out for two weeks before a herd of cattle ... relieved Leesburg from potential famine. By the end of April, Leesburg’ population rose to about 2000, a point at which the camp stabilized during the early mining boom ... Leesburg emerged as a sober, industrious camp. By the fourth season of mining there, other excitements had swept away the surplus population, and by 1870 Leesburg had declined to 170 population." Can't you just picture James Moriarty rushing to Leesburg when gold was first found?!? He always seems to be where the action is!
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| Bringing supplies from Centerville to Placerville |
Assistant Marshall George Smith took the U.S. Census for Idaho’s Loon Creek Mining District on August 19, 1870. He lists 41 year old James Moriarty – he is single and a placer miner. He cannot read or write and is not a citizen of the United States. The Post office is Leesburg. James was living with 4 other Irish placer miners.
Can you read where the residents of Loon Creek Mining District were from? Nova Scotia, Ireland, Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, etc. And can you see some of the occupations besides placer miner? Ranchers, ranch hands, mule packer, blacksmith. And notice that the merchant, mule packer, the blacksmith, and one of the ranchers are the only ones who have any large sums of money. Of the 39 residents listed only 1 is a female and she is “disreputable” – I guess we can figure out what that means. She is on line 25 – she is 42 and from Mexico – she is living with 2 ranchers – one from Pennsylvania and one from Ohio as well as with 3 Mexican men.
Interesting that James Moriarty has no personal estate! I wonder what he does with his money - or has he made any money?
Interesting that James Moriarty has no personal estate! I wonder what he does with his money - or has he made any money?
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