The Gold Bug is like the thousands of small mines that once dotted the Sierra foothills. Surprisingly enough, most of the digging in this mine occurred in the 1920's and 30's, and not during the Gold Rush. Mines like this were worked by small partnerships of men with little money, equipment, or formal knowledge of geology or mining. Using picks, shovels, and blasting powder, the miners took what could be easily removed from the enriched quartz veins.
Like other neighborhood mines, work on the Gold Bug was spotty at best. Owners often had other jobs, and so they worked the mines just enough to maintain their claims. Even then, claim ownership and names changed almost as frequently as the seasons. The Gold Bug claim had many owners over its lifespan, and was once named "Hattie," after the daughter of one of its original owners. William Craddock. The name Gold Bug was used from 1924 until 1942, when the mine was permanently closed do to the war.
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