Wyoming’s Silver Crown Mining District
History of the Site
The area in Southeastern Wyoming near the present-day Curt Gowdy State Park is home to numerous historic mines, in fact, the area is known as the Silver Crown Mining District. While major mining operations ceased just prior to World War II, the area’s mining legacy can still be seen in the remnants of the town of Hecla and the ore mill just north of County Road 210, east of the entrance into Curt Gowdy State Park.
Remnants of the Hecla Mill
Potentially mineable quantities of gold, copper, and other metals remain in the area. In 2016, U.S. Gold Corp acquired 100% of the mineral lease on the State of Wyoming owned Section 36, which contains the old Copper King Mine, as well as leases on adjacent fee lands. The Copper King Mine was developed in 1881 by the Adams Copper Mining and Reduction Company and later operated by the Hecla Mining Company.
Since 1938, at least nine historical (pre-U.S. Gold Corp) drilling campaigns, by at least seven companies plus the U. S. Bureau of Mines, have been conducted at the CK Gold Project site. Including the 2020-21 drilling, over 22 miles of drilling has been completed. This does not include 20 water monitoring wells U.S. Gold Corp has drilled.
Additional information on the history of the area can be found in the “2012 Copper King Mine, Silver Crown District, Wyoming (Preliminary Report)” .
Historic Mines in the Silver Crown Mining District - Courtesy Dan Hausel