Lost mines are a popular form of lost

treasure Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions le ...

legend A legend is a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human values, and possess ...

. The mines involved usually contain a high-value commodity such as

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

diamonds Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, bu ...

. Often, there is a

map A map is a symbolic depiction emphasizing relationships between elements of some space, such as objects, regions, or themes. Many maps are static, fixed to paper or some other durable medium, while others are dynamic or interactive. Although ...

(sometimes called a "waybill") purportedly showing the location of the mine. Common reasons for the mines being lost include: * The mine was discovered and worked by a recluse who refuses to divulge the location, and dies without revealing the location. * The mine was worked by native peoples who refuse to divulge the location to others. * The mineral deposit was discovered in a remote location, and upon returning to the area the discoverer could not find it again. * The discoverer died of hunger, thirst, or exposure shortly after discovering the deposit, and his body is found with rich ore specimens in his possession. * The discoverers were killed by hostile natives. Sometimes the natives cover up the entrance to the mine. * In

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

colonies in the New World, many lost mines were supposedly worked under the direction of Jesuit priests before their sudden expulsion in 1767. Some lost mine legends have a historical basis; some have none. But the lure of lost mine legends is attested by the many books on the subject, and the popularity of publications such as ''Lost Treasure'' magazine.

List of ''lost mine'' legends

Legends of lost mines are probably worldwide. Those listed below are just a sampling.

Africa

King Solomon's Mines ''King Solomon's Mines'' (1885) is a popular novel by the English Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain for the ...

Australia

Lasseter's Reef Lasseter's Reef refers to the purported discovery, announced by Harold Bell Lasseter in 1929 and 1930, of a fabulously rich gold deposit in a remote and desolate corner of central Australia. Lasseter's accounts of the find are conflicting and its ...

(Never actually mined)

Bolivia

* Sacambaya mine

Brazil

* Muribeca mine

Canada

* Lost Lemon Mine,

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

* Pitt Lake gold find,

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

Jolly Jack's Lost Mine Jolly Jack's Lost Mine is a legend about a hidden placer mine supposed to be located in the Boundary Country of British Columbia. The mine has been written about by local historians and various magazines. Many have searched for the lost placer ...

Lost McLeod Mine Lost McLeod Mine is a legend of a lost mine in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The story has been featured in many books and magazines. The events in the legend have led to geographic locations in the Northwest Territories being named Headles ...

, Northwest Territories *

Johanssen's Lost Platinum Cache "Granite City" is the informal name for the mining settlement located near Granite Creek. Established during the 1885 gold rush, Granite Creek townsite is now a ghost town in the Similkameen region of British Columbia, Canada. Early years A cowb ...

Foster's Lost Mine The San Juan River is a river that flows from east to west through southern Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The river originates in the Seymour Range, flows westward through the San Juan Valley to Port San Juan at Port Renfrew. ...

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

Lost Christie Lead McDame Creek is a creek in Cassiar Land District of British Columbia, Canada. The creek flows southeast into Dease River and is south of Good Hope Lake. The creek was discovered in 1874 by a prospector named Harry McDame. McDame Creek was mined fo ...

Lost Silver Lead of Monashee Creek Monashee Creek is located in the Old Cherryville region of British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geog ...

Colombia

* Chivor mine, an emerald mine lost for 200 years, then found again.

Mexico

* Lost diamond mine of

Vicente Guerrero Vicente Ramón Guerrero (; baptized August 10, 1782 – February 14, 1831) was one of the leading revolutionary generals of the Mexican War of Independence. He fought against Spain for independence in the early 19th century, and later served as ...

* Lost

Naranjal mine The Naranjal mine (more commonly known as El Naranjal) is the name of a legendary lost gold mine in the Sierra Mountains of Mexico. Folklorist J. Frank Dobie devoted part of his book "Apache Gold and Yaqui Silver" to the story of this legendary ...

, Durango *

Planchas de Plata Planchas de Plata (Spanish for ''slabs of silver''), sometimes called Bolas de Plata (''balls of silver'') is a historic silver-mining district near Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and a few miles south of the border with the US state of Arizona. Native ...

, Sonora, (sometimes called ''Bolas de Plata''). Periodically assumed to be "lost," although the location is well documented. * Tayopa silver mine, Sonora

Russia

* In the 19th century, gold fever was prevalent in the

Ural Ural may refer to: *Ural (region), in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural Mountains, in Russia and Kazakhstan *Ural (river), in Russia and Kazakhstan * Ual (tool), a mortar tool used by the Bodo people of India *Ural Federal District, in Russia *Ural econ ...

region near Ekaterinburg. There are many legends of the lost mines, for example in Mamin-Sibiryak's stories. * There are many modern stories of lost diamond mines in the

Yakutia Sakha, officially the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia),, is the largest republic of Russia, located in the Russian Far East, along the Arctic Ocean, with a population of roughly 1 million. Sakha comprises half of the area of its governing Far E ...

region of north and northeast Russia

United States

Lost Padre mine The Lost Padre Mine is a legend about Spanish or Mexican mining activity along the "big bend" section of the San Andreas Fault during California's colonial period between 1769 and 1848.History of the Los Padres Mine, Peter C. Gray, Agua Dulce / A ...

, various locations in USA *

Lost Cabin mine Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have be ...

, various locations in USA

Arizona

* Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine,

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Mine with the Iron Door Mine, mines, miners or mining may refer to: Extraction or digging *Miner, a person engaged in mining or digging *Mining, extraction of mineral resources from the ground through a mine Grammar *Mine, a first-person English possessive pronoun Mi ...

, Arizona

California

Lost Pegleg mine Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography * Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have be ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

; supposedly found by mountain man "Pegleg" Smith. * Lost Breyfogle mine, California or

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

* The Lost Cement Mine, California * The Lost Dutch Oven Mine, California * Death Valley Scotty's secret mine, California or Nevada * Lost Gunsight mine, California or Nevada *

, southern California

Colorado

* Lost Pin, Delta County, Colorado * Recluse Goatherder's Gold Mine, Colorado
Three Skeletons, La Plata County, Colorado

Idaho

* The Wheelbarrow Mine,

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

Kentucky

* Swift's silver mine,

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

Missouri

* Yocum silver mine,

Stone County, Missouri Stone County is located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Missouri. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,076. Its county seat is Galena. Stone County is part of the Branson, MO Micropolitan Statistical Area. Hist ...

Nevada

* The Lost Sheepherders Mine, Nevada

New Mexico

* Lost Adams Diggings,

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

or Arizona *

Treasure of Victorio Peak Treasure (from la, thesaurus from Greek language ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions leg ...

White Sands, New Mexico White Sands is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex ...

Oregon

* Lost Blue Bucket Mine,

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...

* Two Frenchmen Mine,

Texas

* Lost Nigger Gold Mine,

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

* San Saba mine (sometimes called the ''Lost Bowie mine'' or the ''Lost Almagres mine''),

Utah

* Lost Rhoades mine,

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to it ...

Lost Josephine mine Lost may refer to getting lost, or to: Geography *Lost, Aberdeenshire, a hamlet in Scotland * Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, or LOST, a hiking and cycling trail in Florida, US History *Abbreviation of lost work, any work which is known to have bee ...

Washington

* Danville's Lost Gold Ledge,

Washington (state) Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingt ...

* Janni's chimney,

* Lost Doukhobor Ledge,

Fiction

The Agatha Christie

Poirot Hercule Poirot (, ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by British writer Agatha Christie. Poirot is one of Christie's most famous and long-running characters, appearing in 33 novels, two plays ('' Black Coffee'' and ''Alibi''), and more ...

short story " The Lost Mine" features a map revealing the location of a lost mine in

Burma Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

. The map is stolen in London, and its carrier murdered.

References

* – Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie collected many tales of lost mines of the American Southwest in the collection Coronado's Children. The title refers to those who followed the legends of hidden riches, like Coronado did in the 17th century. *{{Cite journal , last = Jameson , first = W.C. , title = Buried Treasures of the Rocky Mountain West , publisher = August House , date = 1993 Lists of mines