Payette National Forest

Heritage Program

Items shown above and to your right were found at the Warren site. A chinese cup, a bottle, and several pieces of bottles..

Heritage Feature

Disturbing the Dragon: Rescuing 19th Century Mining Camps in the Warren Historic Mining District
By Kathleen Prouty, Archaeological Technician

Gold fever comes in many guises. This summer in the historic mining district of Warren, Idaho the gold fever has had many casualties. Treasure hunters looking for valuable antique bottles and artifacts have systematically targeted historic ruins on public lands dating from 1862 to 1880. They have pulled up the floorboards of 100-year-old cabins and toppled the walls of 19th Century mining camps. Using metal detectors they have riddled the historic landscape with potholes. In response to this crisis our PIT volunteers came forward once again to salvage the past.

Since 1982 Payette National Forest archaeologists have been documenting "gold rush" historic properties in the Warren Historic Mining District in partnership with several universities and PIT volunteers. In July of 2001 the Payette National Forest had 22 IT volunteers during the two week-long sessions at Warren. Volunteers came to work from as far away as Florida, Ohio and Hawaii. The youngest was seven years old and the oldest was 87. The came with a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds.

The volunteers worked at three different gold rush mining camps that dated from 1870 to 1891. One of our tasks was to find out what kind of information a heavily looted site can produce. Most o the new finds were small objects that are often overlooked by looters. These small pieces, however, revealed important details about the wooden structures of the camps and of the miners who lived in them. With these pieces we were able to define architectural style, nationality, domestic habits, social life and patterns of consumption.

The PIT program also created a presence in the area letting local residents know that these historic sites are a valuable public resource not a source of personal gain for a few greedy looters. The town of Warren attracts many travelers interested in the history of the area. Looters are destroying the economic resource that tourism brings to this tiny community. In response, a group of Warren residents have formed a committee to start a museum in the local historic schoolhouse. Actions such as these are necessary to preserve local history.

"Looting of historic properties is not a simple case of trespass, petty larceny, and disrespect, it is a crime, a violation of the Archaeological Resource Protection Act. The unauthorized digging of archaeological sites is an intentional attempt to steal Idaho's heritage," said Larry Kingsbury, the Payette National Forest, Heritage Program Manager.

In response to this recent resurgence of looting Kingsbury has encouraged local residents, Forest employees, and volunteers to monitor the historic sites and report any disturbances to Forest Law enforcement officials. Information and exhibits about local history are on display at the Warren Guard Station, the Chinese Cemetery and a Chinese homestead called Ah Toy's Gardens. Signs have been placed at remote sites to let visitors know that it is illegal to disturb public heritage sites. The Salmon River Chapter of the Idaho Archaeological Society has funded a reward for information leading to the conviction of looters of historical propertied in the Warren Historic District. It is hoped that all these measures will slow the destruction of historical properties.