People/prospector, magnate

Thomas F. Walsh

Thomas F. Walsh (1850–1910), prospector, magnate, from Ireland. Linked to gold.

The lucky break

In 1881, near Ouray, Colorado, he recognised a rich gold telluride vein on the Gertrude claim. It became the Camp Bird mine.1

The downfall

In 1874, during the Black Hills rush, he turned down an offer of half of a Deadwood prospect that later became the Homestake mine.1

Legacy

Sold Camp Bird to a London syndicate in 1902 for cash, ore and stock. He paid miners better than any union could and gave Ouray a library. His daughter Evalyn and her husband Edward McLean co-owned the Hope diamond.1

Story cards

Timeline

  1. 1874 (expedition), rush from 1875Black Hills gold rush2
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Where next

Mines

InvestigatedHomestake MineHe turned down half of a Deadwood claim that became Homestake.1

Events

Worked atBlack Hills gold rushIn 1874 he turned down an offer of half of a Deadwood prospect.1

Sources

  1. Hall of Fame: Thomas Walsh Mining Foundation of the Southwest
  2. Mining in South Dakota: Education Kit (PDF) South Dakota State Historical Society

From the Prospector Trails mining history dataset: each fact links to the source it was checked against. Figures are as the source gives them, in the money of their day. Not investment advice.

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Cover photos from Wikimedia Commons: Super Pit, Kalgoorlie by Kgbo, CC BY-SA 4.0; Underground mining equipment by Kaupo Kikkas, CC BY-SA 4.0. Pictures: Gold prospectors constructing a long box with a filter for panning gold. Process print after H.M. Paget, 1899., Henry Marriott Paget (Public Domain Mark 1.0); Pangkalpinang. Mijn 3b. Een reeks koelies bezig met het transporteeren van grond, Europeana (Public Domain Mark 1.0).