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

Plymouth Consolidated Mines

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 5, 2011

1. Plymouth Consolidated Mines Marker

Inscription. Founded in 1852 from several claims and consolidated in 1883. Sold to the Argonaut company in 1925 and closed in 1943. Empire workings reopened 1946-47. Pacific shaft 4450’ deep. Total production $13,500,000. Mines north to Cosumnes River: Aden, Alpine, Green, Bay State.

Erected 2004 by Sutter Creek Promotion Committee and Amador County Sesquicentennial Commission. (Marker Number 18.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources. In addition, it is included in the California - Sutter Creek Gold Mine Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1852.

Location. 38° 28.558′ N, 120° 50.828′ W. Marker is in Plymouth, California, in Amador County. Marker is on Pacific Street south of California Highway 49, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 9434 Pacific Court, Plymouth CA 95669, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Benny Brown Arena (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Arcade Bar (approx. 0.4 miles away); Wheeler Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); City of Plymouth (approx. 0.4 miles away); Chinese Store (approx. 0.4 miles away); Memorial Entrance

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(approx. 0.4 miles away); Drytown (approx. 2.4 miles away); Salute to Early Amador Miners (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Plymouth.

Regarding Plymouth Consolidated Mines. Amador County’s Gold Mine Trail was established as part of the Amador County Sesquicentennial celebration in 2004. It is a 15 mile driving tour of some of the county’s 300+ gold mines. There are 18 stops on the tour of which Moor Mine is the first.
From the Gold Mine Trail booklet: “After the placer gold rush of 1848-50, miners began to dig into the earth and rock to uncover gold imprisoned in quartz rocks’ deep veins. The largest vein was the Mother Lode between Yosemite (Oakhurst) and Georgetown in El Dorado County. The 20-mile stretch for the Mokelumne River to the Cosumnes river was the richest, producing some $160 million in gold between 1851 and 1842 (current value $5 billion).
The first hard rock mines were found in Amador County in 1851. The original Ministers’ claim and the Spring Hill were soon followed by many others: Lincoln, South Spring Hill, Keystone, Original Amador, and Eureka.
By the 1870s-80s Amador County was working 300+ mines. There were some tunnels,

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 5, 2011

2. Plymouth Consolidated Mines Marker

but later incline and vertical shafts reached down a mile into the ground. The Kennedy and Argonaut were close to 6,000’ deep. Headframes crowned shafts and stamp mills processed and crushed the ore. Some mines were worked by their founders but most were sold time and again and were improved or went bust. Large American and foreign companies traded in stock and ran the mines from afar.
Workers came from all over the world to look and work for gold. Most were from Europe: Italy, Yugoslavia, and Cornwall. Many stayed on the settle towns, marry and, raise families. Some mines vanished over the years; others still exist. Of the 300-400 mines, only eight headframes still stand, but may foundations, shafts and surface works remain.”

Mining Relics. image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, June 5, 2011

3. Mining Relics.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2018. It was originally submitted on July 15, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,034 times since then and 67 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 15, 2011, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.