The North Star Mine is located near Grass Valley, California and was important during the Gold Rush. It used an innovative Pelton Wheel, the largest in mining at the time, to pump water. The North Star Mine and nearby Empire Mine were owned by the same company. Grass Valley grew around the mines and was originally a mining town with a one-room schoolhouse, but is now a modern city.

1. North Star Mine by Kathleen Burnight Mrs. PridgenMarch 8, 2011

2. North Star Mine The North Star Mine is located near the Empire Mine in California. It is important to the gold rush because at the time the famous Pelton Wheel (named after Lester Pelton) was the largest wheel in the mining business. It was used to pump water through the mine. Because the North Star Mine was so close to the Empire Mine the closest town grew around it and is now called Grass Valley. Actually it just so happens that the Empire Mine was owned by the same company as the North Star Mine and they are connected underground by tunnels. Grass Valley was a miners town with a one room school house that has an outhouse. Now Grass Valley is a modern everyday city with much better schools.

3. This is a picture of me standing in front of a model of the Pelton wheel.

4. Water Wheel

8. North Star Mine Powerhouse

9. Mine Cart s were used to help the miners get down to work . The carts were important transportation devices.

10. Mine carts!

16. When I visited the North Star Mine I saw many old artifacts including this wheel. This wheel is part of a larger object that helped the mine.

29. This is a picture of the Pelton wheel. In this photo the Pelton wheel is not active but it does have a wonderful view of it’s tin cups. The small tin cups helped the wheel move. Without the cups the wheel would not move. Then that would be a problem.

30. Grass Valley, California http://www.ncgold.com/Images/county-map-712.gif

31. Historical Background Back when under ground mining was popular many people mined for gold. Anything not done by muscle was run by steam engines. No one could longer just mine. They had to be hired by a company. Steam engines worked by wood. Forests near by were being destroyed for engines. Then a man named Lester Pelton came in 1878 from Camptonville with him he brought a model of an engine. He showed it to the owners of the North Star Mine. Lester's demonstration was enough to impress the North Star Mine. After the North Star mine built the water wheel many other near by mines wanted them. Empire Mine needed to do something because the North Star mine it was pumping water into it causing problems.

32. More Background History So the Empire Mine plugged up the pipes causing water to level down to a standard level near the bottom. It just so happens the Empire Mine used to be the North Star Mine. The Empire Mine actually had a diagonal mine cart track which slid down the mine twice as fast as any other cart could (at full speed!) yet the North Star Mine employees went to work even faster. They did not go diagonal like a rollercoaster, they dropped down as if on an elevator with no brakes (AAHHHHH!) The miners were paid little for their hard work. The two mines had many employees and was the largest work place for the area.

37. This is a picture of me and my siblings on top of the state rock. The state rock is Serpentine . This rock was drilled out of the mine. The reason I am the only one at the top is because the others had got in some trouble and I was the only one fast enough to reach the top.

49. Gold Rush Created A New Town Along with it came two new mines. The Empire Mine - 1854 The North Star Mine -1871 Pelton Wheel at the North Star Mine - 1878

61. This picture wasn’t taking at the north star mine. It was taking at the empire mine ,not far from the north star mine. The north star mine and the empire mine just so happed to to be the same company as each other but the way they got down to work was no were near alike. The empire mine wood send their workers down in long narrow carts diagonal well the north star’s staff would ride to work as if on a falling elvitor.

62. The empire mine

80. This well stands at the empire mine in CA, grass valley. This handle helped bring things up and down.

81. At the empire mine we

87. This photo was taking at the empire mine. It wasn't taken at the north star mine because the north star mine is the same company as the empire mine so they shared a map room. The map room was were the maps were made.

89. Anyone got to hit the john?

96. Bibliography Nevada County ~ at The Heart of California's Golden History All Content © Copyright 2009 Nevada County Historical Society http://www.ncgold.com/Images/county-map-712.gif, 2/28/11 Ground Speak, inc. North Star Mine Powerhouse, www.waymarking.com ,Grass Valley, CA 2011 California State Parks, Empire Mine State Historic Park, 2/21/11