Argonaut Mine Tragedy of 1922 – Jackson, California
Argonaut Mine Tragedy of 1922 – Jackson, California
Jeff and Sarah visit the location of the famous Argonaut Mine in Amador County, scene of a tragedy in August, 1922 where miners were trapped. They will also visit the mass graves of the victims.
#argonautmine #minedisasters #jacksoncalifornia #historyhunters
Check out our two other videos on Jackson, California!
Stage Coach Driver Mike Tovey was Ambushed Here in 1893
Gold Rush Era Buildings of Jackson, Calif.
https://youtu.be/_b7L4z5DRiE
I live in Jackson and read a question below ‘I can’t believe there isn’t still gold there’….. the fact is that there’s a LOT of gold still there. Problem is that the gold that has already
been mined has been the ‘easy to get to’ gold. The rest of the gold (estimates say there’s 80-90% still there) would be too expensive to mine so it’s not economically possible.
I have been binge watching your and Sarah’s videos and enjoying them so much. I don’t think I have visited the Argonaut Mine Site since the early 90s. It’s a shame to see that homeless encampment scattered across such a historic area. Sadly, we’re seeing a lot of that in Nevada now too. Thank you so much for your thorough narration and history of this site, as well as your focus on Italian immigrants in the area. As I mentioned before, the Gold Country holds a special place in my heart. Your videos, narration, drone footage, and historical storytelling are top notch.
I wonder how many of the old miner’s were my brothers
Love your channel, it’s so interesting! We live in the valley also and I’m so interested in all of your research.
Hi Jeff, thankyou for your touching video honoring the lives of the 47 miners who died in the Argonaut mine disaster on August 27th, 1922.
I live in Amador County and wrote a song about the disaster more than 16 years ago. It was an honor to play and sing the song at the 100 year Commemeration. God bless the men, their families and those who remember them. Katie Aguirre
Jeff and Sarah thank you so much for a well presented documentary.
As soon as I make it down to Modesto, I am cataloging all the places I will want to visit on day trips.
Thank you so much for doing the research for me.
Perhaps they should unblock the mine opening and let the new transient residents explore it further
This is so sad to hear how these men died in the last hours of their l lives.
Fessel didn’t write that message. The miner’s we’re letting whoever found the message know Fessel wasn’t with them. He was working alone that night on the lower level and never was warned of the smoke or fire coming. He died in another part of the mine this the reason he wasn’t found with the miner’s in the crosscut behind the bulkhead.
Is the mile deep down hole still there?
Odyssey oddities Odyssey oddities
Another great episode! As a born and raised Californian (now living in FL) I really appreciate the history. It makes me sad when I see what the homeless are doing to the state. Unfortunately, I don’t have the answers.
I feel sorry for those people I have childhood friend lives in CALI he says homelessness is bad y’all be careful Jeff
A lot of people don’t realise that messes like that usually come about due to police raids to get the homeless out of the areas they’re being evicted from.
The authorities come in after they’ve been evicted & usually clean out the sites & throw out their belongings as well as trash left behind after the raids.
Maybe if people cared more about our mental health, drug & alcohol abuse & our homeless populations across America there wouldn’t be sites looking like that.
Like here in Merced County we have the old Castle Base apartments that could have been revitalized decades ago & used for housing & programs for the homeless instead of just letting them sit there still standing & rot away.
I’ve been saying that since Castle was closed but no one wants to spend the money to refurbish them & make them a solution.
They took base housing & refurbished them for an investment profit of rentals.
Like they say it’s all about making money over humanity towards our fellow man.
Just saying what a waste it’s been!
Great job!
I live across the street from this cemetery and can see my house in many of the shots. I was almost expecting to see myself walking my dog in the background. I love reading the tombstones, such rich history in this town. I moved here from SF about a year before this was filmed and was surprised the homeless situation is not much better than it was back in the Bay Area. My first time waking through the cemetery I came across a pile of stolen mail, empty alcohol bottles, and used heroin needles. I try to keep the area clean as much as possible so when I walk my dog on the trails I often pick up lots of trash. A lot of homeless encampments pop up around the perimeter of the cemetery because there’s lots of little alcoves to hide in. They light bonfires at night to keep warm which is sad but also pretty frustrating because there are tons of wildfires in this part of the state.
Aye i caught up with the 6months i missed….Man forgot how many gems you drop on me…Fukk with the knowledge you kick much Luv 💯💯🖤🖤
Sad but really great bit of history there Was amazed how much is still standing and Sarah was right the homeless are people just sad they left such a mess Great video Jeff and Sarah Thankyou
She is right they are people, but they don’t need to leave a mess. They are not respecting the earth.
So this is privately owned property. Did you gain permission to explore the property before going there?
Great video. I’ve been where you started this videoi would love to be able to get to the argonaut mine but being in a wheelchair itsalmost impossible to get there
I’m thankful for Noce starting Columbus Day! he did it because we Italians were so thankful to the United States to let us in and make our lives so much better. Most of us believe in hard work and love this country so.
Investigate the Port Chicago tragedy. Very sad. Check out Carquinez a great little town on the Sacramento River Delta.
Thank you for this video. My great grandfather was Evan Ely one of the miners who perished that day when my grandmother was only a month old. In fact the picture you show is of her in her mother’s arms with her brothers and sister after that day.
They recently commentated the 100 year anniversary in September and My family and I went to Jackson for that. It was quite an experience one I will never forget.
Thank you again for the video it means so much to my family.
Sadness can have an interesting tell, but in the end it’s still Sadness.
The first church you showed holding a burial service for the Serbian miners is Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, established in 1894. It’s not Greek Orthodox.
Hey Jeff, I was wondering where you got all the historical photographs of the mine. There are only a few pictures of the Argonaut Mine online. I am really interested in the colorization of photos of the mines in Amador County
Thank you for making these videos of history of our State if it wasn’t for you and others that does this we wouldn’t have any knowledge of these stories. So thank you and keep giving us this valuable information.
Thanks for presenting the history of the Kennedy and Argonaut mines. I was born and raised in Sacramento and we went through Jackson many many times. I remember hearing the Kennedy mine being mentioned a lot. And I think I remember hearing the name Argonaut. But I do not remember ever hearing of the mine disaster. Everytime I hear of such disaster it makes me wonder why anyone would let themselves be threatened by such danger. But I did notice mention that the mine owners may have been cutting corners, thus the mine may not have been run with safety of the men in mind.
You should know about the Tailing Wheels that were used for the Kennedy mine. One had fallen as I became an adult. I have photos of them. But later I heard the other tailing wheel had fallen as well. So I don’t know what you might find about them. It would be another worthwhile project if they could be rebuilt.
Homeless. Ugh.
Did you all bag any of the trash? Why not? Don’t bitch about it do something about it
On December 13, 1891 my 1st Cousin 7x Removed’s Husband John William Smith fell 500 feet to his death in the Kennedy Mine
Thank you Jeff and Sarah, a very interesting trip into history. I had never heard of this tragedy before seeing this video.
I’m sick of homeless slobs period ! Just because your homeless doesn’t mean you need to leave trash everywhere !
The miners’ graves were quite something to see.
I enjoy this channel for it’s look at California history. A few days after watching this episode I am still bothered by the comment when coming upon the remains of a homeless encampment. The real disrespect was those campers toward the land. They don’t own or have a right to destroy. The hard working men and women of 1920s Jackson, those poor mining families of that era would not understand people who squat on someone else’s land and leave such a mess.
Really miss Gold Country! The trash and homeless encampment was truly disheartening and disgusting… it’s so very sad what our beautiful home has become… Thank you Jeff & Sarah!
Your biggest Tennessee fans!♥️
What a horrible way for these men to go. I can’t imagine how their women and children felt and then how hard it was for them to have survived without them. Very sad indeed!
Another sad tale of such a dangerous job. Well done vlog covering that tragedy.
Nice tribute to the victims of the Argonaut Mine Tragedy. The graves are so unique and so old! There’s so much history to be gleaned from them. Thank you for walking through the graves for us. I’m a bit wary of walking through cemeteries by myself. Thanks to you and Sarah, I don’t have to. Take care. 🙏
When you were in Virginia City, Nv., did you look at the Yellow Jacket Mine? There was a fire on the 800′ level that killed more than 35 miners. 11 of them were never retrieved. The fire also caught other mines on fire.
My hometown ; )
These mines made New York city.what a shame that the only thing I don’t like about them.
California politics are ruining your state.
The hardship people faced were multiple family members dying in one accident. There weren’t a lot of options. Just imagine the faces that would flash in a wife or mother’s brain at the call of a fire, etc.
As far as the homeless camps, I find most grievous is the mess they leave behind. If they are told to move, the camps signify how they are living not where. Is it going to get worse before it gets better?
Thanks for the episide. Glad Sarah was okay.
I have a suggestion for a video. On May 2, 1972, 91 miners were killed in a mine fire at the Sunshine Silver Mine near Kellogg, Idaho. My dad was one of the 91. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the fire. Every May 2nd a memorial service is held at the Miners Memorial Statue to commemorate the miners. If you want to find out more about this event, a book titled "The Deep Dark" by Gregg Olsen is the most comprehensive account. Thought I would offer.
Thank you for sharing, I was not aware of this tragedy. We will definitely stop by in a future visit soon. Horrified with all the litter 😕
Thank you for doing what you do..😊😊
What became of the giant wooden wheels that used to be visible from the road? They were used for transporting water up hill. I thought they were at the Kennedy mine.
Ever notice how colorful homeless camps are?