The Newton is the only copper mine so far that we have visited and added to this site. It sits only yards off highway 88 so it was an easy drive bye on our way to Jackson. We didn’t hop the fence and peer down the shaft nor did we climb the hill to explore the still standing smelter and host of other rotting artifacts. The old wood headframe still stands tall over the inclined shaft but looks as though it may tumble any day now. The creek along the mine has a bright yellow orange color as well as the massive piles of tailings.
The Newton Mine began operating in 1863 during California’s first copper boom and operated until 1946 producing 5.4 million pounds of copper.
