Near Trinity Center in Trinity County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Bucket Line Dredges

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 3, 2012

1. Bucket Line Dredges Marker

Inscription. Gold dredging turned the Trinity River upside down for over 50 years, leaving behind mounds of rock tailings. The first operation, in 1889, was the Kise Bros. Dredge. The Carrville Dredge, at this site was the last dredge operating for a few years before and after World War II, then sat idle until shipped to Brazil in 1965. The Valdor Dredge mined the Trinity River between the old Junction City Powerhouse and Lime Point until dismantled in 1922; it was reassembled as the Lewiston Dredge near Eastman Gulch. The Pacific Dredge failed at Coffee Creek, then was moved south to the Graves Ranch at Stringtown. The world’s largest wood hull dredge was the Estabrook, located near Trinity Center, excavating more than 250,000 tons per month. The Trinity Dredge, operated by Mary E. Smith, was the richest, dredging over $2,700,000 in gold from areas now covered by Lewiston Lake. The Junction City (Yuba) was dismantled and rebuilt as the Fairview at Minersville, in 1949, but failed to float and remains at the bottom of Trinity Lake. Other dredges including the Madrona, Galvin, Poker Bar, Gardella, Gold Bar, and Alta Bert #1 and #2.

Erected 2000 by E Clampus Vitus, Trinitarianus Chapter No. 62 in ccoperation with the U.S. Forest Service and Trinity County Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical

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marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1889.

Location. 41° 3.173′ N, 122° 41.966′ W. Marker is near Trinity Center, California, in Trinity County. It is at the intersection of California Route 3 and East Side Road, on the left when traveling north on California Route 3. This maker is in the dredge tailings field near the intersection of Highway 3 and East Side Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Trinity Center CA 96091, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Shasta Cascade,

on the Coast Ranges,

and in the Klamath Mountains.

It is also in the American Mountain West

and specifically in the Pacific Northwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Carrville (approx. 0.9 miles away); Turning Water into Gold (approx. 2.4 miles away); “Jim Swett Field” (approx. 4.6 miles away); Trinity Centre Then – Trinity Center Now. (approx. 4.7 miles away); The Bowerman Barn (approx. 11.2 miles away).

Also see . . .
1. Giant Gold Machines - Gold Dredges. California mining engineers thought BIG, the floating gold dredge was one idea. Imagine a long string of giant buckets like this one. Imagine one
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 3, 2012

2. Bucket Line Dredges Marker
Photograph taken from Highway 3.
hundred forty of them on an endless moving bucket line of a floating dredge in the Yuba gold fields. (Submitted on June 10, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

2. Trinity County California Gold Production - Western Mining History. By A. H. Koschmann and M. H. Bergendah - USGS 1968
Substantial amounts of gold have been mined from lodes and placers in Trinity County. Mining began in the early 1850's with small-scale placer operations in the Trinity River basin. Later the terrace and channel gravels were worked by hydraulic methods, and huge dragline dredges were used near Junction City and Weaverville. Lode mining has also been successful in the Carrville district. (Submitted on June 10, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Bucket Line Dredges Tailings image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 3, 2012

3. Bucket Line Dredges Tailings

Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, June 3, 2012

4. Bucket Line Dredges Tailings

Bucket Line Dredges image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Vintage postcard, n/a

5. Bucket Line Dredges

Photographed by Doreen Thomson, June 21, 2013

6. Bucket Line Dredges Tailings

Credits. This page was last revised on December 10, 2024. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 3,648 times since then and 140 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 10, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. 6. submitted on August 23, 2020, by Doreen Thomson of Calgary, Alberta Canada. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.