Resources

Bylaws for Traditional Mining Districts

by Scott Harn
Editor/Publisher
ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal
____________________________________

As you may have read in articles we've published in ICMJ's Prospecting and Mining Journal, traditional Mining Districts have the power to create rules and regulate themselves. This was granted to miners in the General Mining Act of 1872.

It would be in your best interest to organize your traditional Mining District if it is in disarray. We here at the Mining Journal will publish a Public Notice for your traditional Mining District for a flat fee of $65 if you need to call for a meeting to elect or re-elect officers. Just give us a call and we'll send you the template.

I have been gathering and sorting through historical records in an attempt to locate as many of the original bylaws as possible. I'm ready to start releasing that information as time permits, and you will find that information listed here when it becomes available.

If you have located the original bylaws, rules, or regulaitons for a particular Mining District not listed here, please drop us a note or give us a call and we can add that information to this list.  It's important to start with the original bylaws because some states passed laws forbidding the creation of new Mining Districts. (California passed such a law in 1953.)  Bylaws can be changed or amended once elected miners are in place.

This is an ongoing project in cooperation with Public Lands for the People and the Minerals and Mining Advistory Council.

Please visit mmacusa.org for more information or if you need assistance in this process.

Note: The county names listed here are taken from historical documents going back to 1852. Counties were added to many states and some counties changed names or consolidated over the years. The majority of these .pdf documents were extracted from a document published by the Department of Interior back in 1885.

Bylaws for Traditional Mining Districts

California - Amador County - Drytown Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Butte County - Con Cow Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Butte County - Oregon Gulch Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Calaveras County - Angel's Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - El Dorado County - French Creek Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - El Dorado County - Grizzly Flat Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - El Dorado County - Smith's Flat Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Mariposa County - Mariposa Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Plumas County - Warren Hill Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Sacramento County - Folsom Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Sierra County - Gibsonville Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Sierra County - St Louis Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Siskiyou County - Little Humbug Creek Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Siskiyou County - Lower Humbug Creek Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Siskiyou County - Maine Little Humbug Creek Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Siskiyou County - Oro Fino Diggings Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Trinity County - Democrat Gulch Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Trinity County - East Fork of North Trinity Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Trinity County - Weaver Creek Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Trinity County - Weaverville Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Yuba County - Indiana Ranch Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Yuba County - Odd Fellows and Ohio Flat Mining Districts (added 12-08-2015)
California - Yuba County - Sucker Flat Mining District (added 12-08-2015)
California - Yuba County - Upper Yuba Mining District (added 12-08-2015)

New Mexico - Santa Fe County - Los Cerrillos Mining District (added 12-04-2015)

Oregon - Baker County - Blue Canon Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Dixie Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Independence Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Lookout Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Pine Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Pioneer Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Pocohontas Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Shasta Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Spring Gulch Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - St. Clair Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Baker County - Webfoot Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Coos County - Johnson Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Curry County - Boulder Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Curry County - South Fork Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Douglas County - Myrtle Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Douglas County - Tennessee Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Grant County - John Day's Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Grant County - Rock Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Jackson County - Jackass and Poor Man's Creeks Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Jackson County - Steamboat Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Jackson County - Union Town Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Josephine County - Lower Silver Mining District (added 12-04-2015)
Oregon - Josephine County - Silver Creek Mining District (added 12-04-2015)

Don't See Your Bylaws above? Try this document--

Start by opening this .pdf Index and scroll down. This is a scanned copy of United States Mining Laws - 1880 Census. The Mining Districts are listed by state starting on page 13 of the Index (it's page 699 in the .pdf). Look to see what page number your state begins on.

...then click on the appropriate link below after you find the page number.

 

 

 

 

1880a_v14-12 - pg 687-705

Still Can't Your Traditional Mining District Bylaws?
Try your local county recorder, museum, historical society, etc.

Does anyone know which Mining District this is? (Click on the picture to view .pdf.)



Thank you Brian and Ron -- It's the Empire Mining District in California

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