Alpine Mine, Plymouth, Amador County

The Alpine mine was located in Plymouth, California

The chief industries of Amador County are logging, agriculture, and mining. Since 1880 more than $165,500,000 worth of mineral products has been produced. The single commodity responsible for nearly 85 percent of this total is gold, most of which has been produced from that part of the Mother Lode gold belt between Jackson and Plymouth. Actually, this segment has been the richest part of the entire 115-mile length of the lode. Other important mineral products are clay, coal (lignite), and copper.

The largest producers of gold have been the Kennedy, Argonaut, Keystone, and Plymouth mines, all of which have been inactive for nearly a decade. The Central Eureka mine which is now active (circa 1954) is one of the few Mother Lode gold mines which survived the government restriction order L-208 of 1942 and increased mining costs. Other past important gold producers have been the Fremont-Gover, Lincoln, Zeila, Oneida, Original Amador, South Eureka, Wildman, Mahoney, Treasure, and Bunker Hill mines. In the east belt the Belden, Rainbow, and Pioneer Lucky Strike mines were important producers. Several small east belt mines are now active (circa 1954). Substantial quantities of gold have been produced by gold dredges, hydraulic mines, drift mines, and by the re-working of old tailings.