Professional Equipment for Serious Detectorists!

Magazine

Legislation & Regulation

California Destroys Another Prospecting Business

The first time I was in Frank’s store was in the early ‘80s. I had worked for the Mining Journal off and on from the time my grandfather owned the magazine through my parents ownership and thought it was time to strike it rich suction gold dredging.

I purchased a 4” ATC Wetwasher dredge from the manufacturer in Aptos, California, and talked my brother Steve into coming along with me on my first dredging trip. I had seen a few dredges in action and read quite a few articles on the topic, but I really had no clue where to start. There was some equipment I was missing that would allow us to stay under water for extended periods, but I honestly didn’t remember what it was called.

We planned to camp out for three or four days wherever we ended up. We picked up a dredge permit in Sacramento on our way up from the Santa Cruz area and stopped by Pioneer Mining Supplies in Auburn to see what else we needed. As we browsed through the equipment at Frank’s store, not wanting to make our lack of experience blatantly obvious, we politely asked a few questions. We also didn’t want to tell Frank that our father owned the Mining Journal, displayed for sale on the counter, for fear that we would completely embarrass our family.

I’m fairly sure Frank thought that Steve and I were just a couple of clueless kids, but he didn’t make us feel like it. Together we figured out the essential items we were missing and paid for them, with Frank throwing in a couple of vials for “all that gold” we were going to get over the next few days.

I remember trying not to laugh as I asked Frank some detailed questions while he helped carry our purchases out to my truck, including how to start a dredge! You could see the light go on in his head as he smiled back at us—he suddenly realized we had absolutely no idea what we were doing.

Frank spent the next 30-40 minutes going over the art of suction dredging with us, including starting and priming the motor and pump, hooking up the air supply, unclogging the hose and much more, while continuing to help other customers in between. Then he asked us where we were heading to strike it rich. “I was hoping you could tell us,” I said with an embarrassed smirk. I completely exposed our cluelessness and we all laughed.

Frank led us back into the store. He drew us a map to a location that was open to the public and said we should find at least a little gold, though we probably wouldn’t get rich on our first try. I only recovered a few flakes on that first trip, but I gained a life-long respect for Frank Sullivan.

After 30 years, we are saddened to report Frank has decided to close Pioneer Mining Supplies in Auburn, the landmark meeting place for prospectors and miners. Frank recently had open-heart surgery, and store manager Dennis Robnett died unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 24. Frank has recovered from major setbacks before, but he can’t get around California’s desire to shut down the entire suction gold dredging industry. While gold prices have gone north of $1,800 per troy ounce, Pioneer Mining Supplies will be sitting out this latest gold rush.

Frank would be the first to tell you that California’s current moratorium on suction gold dredging has made it impossible to thrive and nearly impossible to survive. He was the number one retailer for suction gold dredges made by Keene Engineering, and sold a considerable amount for Proline, too. His small business managed to pump millions of dollars over the years into the California economy. Dredging could be a huge contributor to our troubled economy at the current gold price, creating jobs and contributing taxes, except for the current ban on dredging throughout the state—even in areas where there are no endangered or threatened species.

Frank estimates that his business was down ”about 65 percent” due to the current dredging moratorium.

Prospectors and miners gravitated toward Pioneer Mining as much for friendly advice as for the latest products. Frank sold his Blue Bowl business to his daughter Heather, and she will be establishing a store at a nearby location, though we don’t know all of those details yet; but we do know Frank and the staff at Pioneer Mining are already missed.
© ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, CMJ Inc.
Next Article »« Previous Article

Add a Comment

Additional articles that might interest you...

Colorado Mining Association Appeals Roadless Ruling


The Colorado Mining Association is asking the US Supreme Court to review a 2001 rule that largely barred new roads on 58 million acres of roadless areas in national forests.

Study Confirms Mercury Levels Safe in California's Gold Country


While the Water Board documented the selenium levels in fish and noted they exceed the levels of mercury, they have yet to acknowledge the numerous scientific studies that show selenium effectively neutralizes the effects of mercury.

Legislative and Regulatory Update


• Vote
• EPA declares Superfund site in Colorado
• An environmental tale

Legislative and Regulatory Update


PLF scores another win for property rights

Feinstein Pushes for Million-Acre Land Grab


Met by jeers and cheers from more than 1,000 people, US Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA) made another pitch to create three new national monuments in the deserts of southern California recently.

It's Time to Get the Heck Out of China


We are at a crossroads; either we establish the mining, production and refining of rare earth elements here in the US or we remain subjected to the whims of the Chinese government.

MMAC & PLP Update


Keep in mind there are specific steps that must be taken to get your traditional mining district organized if it has fallen into disarray.

Subscription Required:
The Bawl Mill   • Our Readers Say   • Ask The Experts - Could I stake out a 20-acre claim with a waterway running through it just as I would a lode claim?   • Ask The Experts - Do I have any grandfathered rights that post FLPMA claim holders do not have?   • Q&A With Detector Designer Dave Johnson   • Legislative and Regulatory Update   • Dredging Tips From The Golden Rogue   • Understanding and Prospecting Benches   • Gold in the Slate Creek Basin   • Deductions: Get 'Em While You Can   • Endurance Is Golden   • Melman on Gold & Silver   • Mining Stock Quotes & Mineral and Metal Prices   • The Preacher of Sheeps**t Flats

Free:

Advertisements

Precious Metals Recovery plants and equipment
Fighting to keep public lands open to the public
Specializing in the processing of precious metal ores!
Watch prospecting shows on your computer right now
Free Online Sample Issue