THE GRAVE CREEK GOLD DREDGE by Gilbert E
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4 B - DAILY COURIER, Grants Pass, Oregon MONDAY, DECE;MBER 12, 1994 THE GRAVE CREEK GOLD DREDGE by Gilbert E. Walter Pictured is approximately 15,000 yards of the 150,000 yards of answer to this question is a qualified "yes." Many jobs ~;:e;aces dredge area that were crushed this past summer; most was used in repaving I-5 near the Hugo interchange into the Cow were created during a time ever of deep depression when Creek Valley. \ increasing jobs were sorely needed. It pressures is to be hoped that there AS The Leland dredge soon after it began operating. on her ever decreasing were those who got a new Photos courtesy Larry McLane. natural resources, we hear start in life from that more and more about the temporary employment. wisdom of long-range But the good things had a planning with the object of price. And, from the long achieving more efficient viewpoint, it was high. use of remaining When I visit the area and resources. look out over the This has not always devastation-the many, been the case. many acres of rock piles, As an example, for it's easy to create a many years prior to 1930, memory picture of Dad my father leased most of following his old, single the bottom land along both furrow plow pulled by our sides of Grave Creek predecessors and persisted. land clearing and two horses, Lady and extending eastward from The tale could not be operation was involved in Nelly, or of the stands of Leland for more than a confirmed, however, and the big project. The wheat rippling in the mile. The land was then skepticism remained high. dredge, constructed on a breeze; or images of Dad owned by the Leland Land When the Grants 50- by 100-foot hull, was a and the hired hands Company of Portland. It Pass Daily Courier finally floating device. This· loading the harvested was good farmland, and confirmed the story, all required the excavation of shocks of field-cured hay produced a variety of hay doubt was erased and most a 12-foot deep, 150- by onto the big, rack-bed and grain crops as well as of us immediately 150-foot pond. The pond wagon in preparation for vegetables. It also included experienced a drastic and would be perpetuated by baling and to hear their two small but well only marginally justified the dredge itself, as a large voices as they worked with producing fruit orchards. reversal of emotions. Most endless chain of buckets associated activities finally which almost resulted in fishing method was my carefully coordinated · It also contained an of us began planning on all dug up the gravel and soil began, I was unable to get an honest-to-goodness fish very wet front, well movements. Yes, and I can unknown volume of placer the wonderful things we ahead, ran everything a job due to my age, so I story which no one would plastered with silvery, easily remember my gold which had been could do with all that through a gold extraction enviously observed all the have believed. My older smelly fish scales. So, the miserable soreness, deposited there over the money we would be process, then deposited the activities from the brother George, still Grave Creek gold dredge especially in the seat, from unable to work at his past thousands of years by making from full-time jobs gravel, devoid of both sidelines. I did benefit in almost produced a side riding Nelly around and Grave Creek. The gold created by the dredge. topsoil and gold, behind. one way, however. My regular job as a Southern benefit of fresh salmon around in an endless circle was in the gravel lying on When it was learned This, of course, required a friend Homer Goff and I Pacific fireman due to the steaks for our dinner. of 8 hours a day 'during the Depression, was living at or just above bedrock and that a massive land rather large volume of were playing for Saturday . The dredge was baling operations. I had never been considered clearing job would have to water, which was brought night dances at Tom home (he eventually got noisy and the loud clatter remember the blissful rests by the old-time miners as be done prior to the actual to the pond via ditches Clark's Blue Moon dance work with the Skeeter of the tailings, consisting during noon hours, lying having sufficient value to gold dredging operation, from Grave Creek and/or hall at Leland. In those Brothers clearing crew). mainly of rocks, some up in the good-smelling grass justify mining by optimism grew. This Dog Creek. This days, the orchestra was He and I decided to go to to a foot more more in in the shade of an apple the site of the newly conventional hydraulic would mean employment demanded the construction given 60% of the door diameter, falling from the tree in one of the orchards: methods. for many men, everyone of a dam of sorts in Grave receipts. More people at constructed dam in Grave conveyor belt at the stern, But it's all gone now. Creek to see if any salmon During the early agreed, because the Creek near where the the dances meant more could be heard from It will be a very, very long 1930s, the Depression dredging operation dredge began operations. money, and the dredge was were coming up the creek almost any spot within a time before Mother Nature and trying to get over or deepened and demanded a surprisingly Undoubtedly, at the responsible for just that distance of a mile or more. restores the land to any past the dam. As luck unemployment became detailed degree of land peak of Leland's placer happening. We noticed Many times, while kind of condition suitable would have it, we saw one, severe. With so many folks clearing work. All trees, mining era, more men more strange faces at the walking back to the ranch for agricultural activities well over 2 feet in length, idle, rumors were plentiful both native and those of were employed than were Blue Moon and everyone during the "wee, small ' if ever. apparently resting in a but most of them were the fruit orchards had to be to be hired by all the said they were people from hours" from a Saturday Most of the gold is Pnt;,-,,.1" f ,,. )<:,,. ,>nrl <: n on removed, roots included. various phases of the the dredge activities. Tom shallow pool near one end night at the Blue Moon, I a"nP tnn T hnnP ~nmPnnP use of remaining resources. look out over the This has not always devastation-the many, been the case. many acres of rock piles, As an example, for it's easy to create a many years prior to 1930, memory picture of Dad my father leased most of following his old, single the bottom land along both furrow plow pulled by our sides of Grave Creek predecessors and persisted. land clearing and two horses, Lady and extending eastward from The tale could not be operation was involved in Nelly, or of the stands of Leland for more than a confirmed, however, and the big project. The wheat rippling in the mile. The land was then skepticism remained high. dredge, constructed on a breeze; or images of Dad owned by the Leland Land When the Grants 50- by 100-foot hull, was a and the hired hands Company of Portland It Pass DailJ Courier finally floating device. This· loading the harvested was good farmland, and confirmed the story, all required the excavation of shocks of field-cured hay produced a variety of hay doubt was erased and most a 12-foot deep, 150- by onto the big, rack-bed and grain crops as well.as of us immediately 150-foot pond. The pond wagon in preparation for vegetables. It also included experienced a drastic and would be perpetuated by baling and to hear their two but well only marginally justified the dredge itself, as a large voices as worked t" nri)ctttcurn fruit orchards. reversal of emotions. Most endless chain of n11,,1r .. associated ·es finally which almost resulted in uc,uu,,F, method was my dug up the gravel and soil an honest-to-goodness fish contained an of us began planning on all began, I was le to get very wet front, well movements. Yes, and I can story which no one would unknown volume of placer the wonderful things we ahead, ran everything a job due to age, so I plastered with silvery, easily remember my have believed. My older gold whichhad been could do with all that through a gold extraction enviously ob ed all the smelly fish scales. So, the miserable soreness, process, then deposited the brother George, still deposited there over the money we would be activities fr he Grave Creek gold dredge especially in the seat, from gravel, devoid of both sidelines. I didSbenefit in unable to work at his past thousands of years by making from full-time jobs almost produced a side riding Nelly around and topsoil and gold, behind. regular job as a Southern Grave Creek. The gold created by the dredge. one way, how~\rer. My benefit of fresh salmon around in an endless circle This, of course, required a Pacific fireman due to the was in the gravel lying on When it was learned friend Homer6off and I steaks for our dinner. of 8 hours a day 'during the rather large volume of Depression, was living at or just above bedrock and that a massive land were playing for Saturday , The dredge was baling operations.