Idaho was the nation’s fourth-leading producer of dredged gold after 1910 and therefore provides an excellent lens through which to observe the practice and history of gold dredging.Īuthor Clark Spence focuses on the two most important types of dredges in the state-the bucket-line dredge and the dragline dredge-and describes their financing, operation, problems, and effect on the state and environment. Clark Spence’s history of gold dredging in Idaho provides a critical, and happily colorful, addition to our mining past and our restorative present and future.”Ī History of Gold Dredging in Idaho tells the story of a revolution in placer mining-and its subsequent impact on the state of Idaho-from its inception in the early 1880s until its demise in the early 1960s. His attention to detail, his flawless research, his use of language, and his ability to demonstrate the relevance of history make this an essential addition to a fundamental element in Idaho’s development. “Spence’s history is comprehensive, interesting, and entertaining. It is sure to be a much-valued resource for mining, western, and Idaho historians, and history buffs, for many years to come.' 'This book, clearly the product of years of painstaking research, offers a treasure trove of information about the Gem State's fascinating, but now largely forgotten, history of gold dredge mining. The book will appeal primarily to specialists in mining history, although the later chapters include useful materials for those interested in environmental history and federal impacts on resource development.'

has completed an almost encyclopedic recounting of dredging attempts, both successful and failed, across Idaho. 'Clark Spence, correctly labeled 'the Dean of Mining Historians'.

Spence has done yeoman’s work on these subjects, and the notes alone will prove a helpful guide for further research.'

'For readers interested in a highly detailed account of the technological and business history of gold dredging in Idaho organized geographically, this book will prove invaluable.

'Providing a record of Idaho’s dredging history for the first time, this book is a significant contribution to the knowledge and understanding of Western mining, its technology, and its overall development as a major industry of the twentieth century.' Jay Fell, University of Colorado, Denver “Broad, deep, and comprehensive and not likely to be surpassed for a very long time.”

Dredging for gold