The Land Then and Now

One fourth of the land on the San Juan Ridge has been mined or influenced by mining in some way. The most dramatic effects have been created by the hydraulic mining of the 1800’s. The largest “Diggins” can be seen at French Corral, Badger Pit, Cherokee, North Columbia, and Malakoff. The Land Then and Now illustrates the changes wrought by the mining and the destructive force of the Gold Rush on the land, the people, and the flora and fauna.