Yankee Fork Gold Dredge - Bonanza, Idaho, USA - Preserved Machines on Public Display on Waymarking.com

The following information was gathered from the website for the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge; a link for this site has been provided below.

In 1939, the Silas Mason Company (a construction company based in New York) wanted to get into the gold mining business and started the Snake River Mining Company. They decided to mine placer gold along a 5.5 mile stretch of the Yankee Fork in Central Idaho. Silas Mason contracted with Bucyrus Erie to ship the parts for the dredge via rail from Milwaukee, WI, and then truck the pontoons and superstructure from Boise up over Galena Pass to the Yankee Fork area. The dredge was constructed from April 1st, 1940, to August 24th, 1940.

The dredge was operated from 1940 to 1952; however, breaks in operations occurred between 1942 and 1946 due to World War II and in 1947 as a result of the Silas Mason Company not making sufficient monetary gains. J.R. Simplot and Fred Baumhoff purchased the dredge in 1949 for $75,000. The dredge was moved to its present location in 1953. J.R. Simplot donated the dredge to the U.S. Forest Service in 1966 and it was opened for tours in 1980 through the nonprofit Yankee Fork Gold Dredge Association.

When touring, volunteers from the Yankee Fork Gold Dredge Association will be posted around the machine to answer questions and give an overview of the history and inner workings of the dredge.

Type of Machine: Gold Dredge Year the machine was built: 1940 Year the machine was put on display: 1980 Is there online documentation for this machine: [Web Link]

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