Jackson in Amador County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Kennedy Mine Headframe

1. Kennedy Mine Headframe Marker

Inscription. Gold changed an entire way of life in California during the Gold Rush. In 1860 Andrew Kennedy and three partners filed 4 mining claims of about 600 feet long. Two shafts were started near what is now Highway 49. The shafts were started, which eventually became the North and South Shafts. The East Shaft, a vertical shaft, 135 foot steel headframe, was built replacing the original wooden headframe which burned down in 1928. Two large wheels fed cables to the skips which lowered and raised miners, ore, mules and water. The headframe had two triangular hoppers where the skips dumped their loads. The bottom hopper was used to store the waste rock until it could be removed and dumped out of the way. The upper hopper was used to receive the gold bearing quartz rock. The smaller rock would fall through a "grizzly" into the ore bin. The larger rock would go into a jaw crusher housed in the room at the second level of the headframe. When it crushed to the proper size, it would fall into the ore bin to be stored until it could be transported to the 100 Stamp mill by mule and ore car. The Kennedy Mine was famous for being the deepest

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gold mine at 5912 feet, in North America until it was closed in 1942 by the U.S. Govt.

Erected 2015 by James W. Marshall Chapter #49 E Clampus Vitus and The Kennedy Mine Foundation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list.

Location. 38° 22.062′ N, 120° 46.838′ W. Marker is in Jackson, California, in Amador County. It can be reached from Kennedy Mine Road, on the left when traveling east. Marker is located at the Kennedy Gold Mine and can be reached via Highway 49. This is a fee area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 12594 Kennedy Mine Road, Jackson CA 95642, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Gold Country

and in the Sierra Nevada.

It is also in the American Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Pacific Rim,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Kennedy Mine Headframe image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Lester J Letson, October 2, 2009

2. Kennedy Mine Headframe

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kennedy Mining and Milling Company (within shouting distance of this marker); Massa (Tunnel) Adit (approx. 0.3 miles away); A. Chichizola Store (approx. 0.3 miles away); Kennedy Mine (approx. 0.4 miles away); Kennedy Mine Tailings Wheels (approx. 0.4 miles away); Anthony Caminetti (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Kennedy Mine / The Argonaut Mine (approx. 0.4 miles away); Jackson (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Jackson.

Kennedy Mine Cable reels image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Lester J Letson, October 2, 2009

3. Kennedy Mine Cable reels

These huge reels driven by gear driven "donkeys" used cables to pull up ore cars, miners and real donkeys from the depths of the Kennedy Mine.

Photographed by Syd Whittle, August 21, 2006

4. Kennedy Mine Headframe

View of the headframe as seen from the viewing rest area on Highway 49.

Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2017. It was originally submitted on February 9, 2017, by Frank Gunshow Sanchez of Hollister, California. This page has been viewed 632 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 9, 2017. 2, 3. submitted on March 31, 2017, by Lester J Letson of Fresno, California. 4. submitted on February 11, 2017, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. Wide area view of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?