The Mugwump Mine is a drift mine only yards outside the town of Forest City along Oregon Creek below American Flat. We visited the Mugwump on a rainy June weekend in 2018. It was a long slippery walk bush whacking our way down Oregon Creek. We passed an old tin shed and then and upside down car that had washed down towards the creek probably as the old washed away. A bit farther along the slippery slope we finally came upon some scattered equipment and eventual saw the ore cart tracks leading into the adit. At the end of the tracks toward the creek laid an electric trammer hiding deep in the brush. In fact everything at the mine was electric.
…hiding deep in the brush.
A 1970s California Mining report states the Mugwump along with other giants like Plumbago, Kate Hardy, and Oriental were still operating intermittently at low profit levels though the district was the most famous High-grade district in California. A similar report from 1922 claims the Mugwump had produced only $1.70 a yard from 6000 yards of gravel.
…against exploring the 3,000 ft adit…
The open adit was flooded and we had heard rumors of bad air. Without waders and our gas monitors we decided against exploring the 3,000 ft adit and 1,300 ft of drifts. Much of the mine and its buildings have long washed away as the creek has eroded the hillside almost all the way to the adit. Still a cool find. Please comment below if you know more about the Mugwump Mine.
