The Mystery Tunnel: Was This Christopher Bechtler's Gold Mine?

The Mystery Tunnel: Was This Christopher Bechtler's Gold Mine?. . Beyond this dark opening is a mystery tunnel. Was it Bechtler's mine? With some evidence pointing that way, it is certainly a possibility. , By 1831, Bechtler was using a water-powered “stamp mill” of the type used to crush gold-bearing rock. This is the best evidence that he was mining in rock. An 1837 visitor saw a tunnel following a vein, but he thought the rock was “not promising.” Slots in the walls show that timbers once shored up the ceiling. , The “room” to the right of the entrance is another mystery. Was it a storage room for gold awaiting processing? , From the entrance, the tunnel extends 80 feet before turning north for another 30 feet. At that point it is blocked by soil which has washed in over the decades. Pick marks are still clearly defined on the rocky walls. , For many years after his death, Bechtler's property was sold and resold to speculators and mining companies, once selling for $1 million dollars to New York investors. , [Caption] Hard-rock, underground mining required more effort than surface mining. The rock had to be crushed, often with a “stamp” mill which used water power to lift heavy iron hammers. Once the rock was pulverized, the heavier gold particles could be separated.