Julian is a tiny town tucked away in the Cuyamaca Mountains. A real gold mine still exists in the town that was once a mining community, and there is gold there. It is fascinating to see the entire process as well as how man entered the mountain and removed the gold using simple tools and no electricity; levers, hoists, gravity, and manpower were used to complete the task. This historical site is right behind the town.
In the past, the dream of gold generated a flurry of activity in the tunnels that one can now wander through. It was only a matter of time after nuggets were discovered in a nearby creek in the 1870s before word spread and crowds gathered to set up camp.
The original town residents were those early campers. The Eagle Mine carried out every task, from extraction to milling. Many poor prospectors came to this one location, but they left as very wealthy men.
The Bedford Canyon Formation, which dates back 200 million years to the Triassic Period, contains the gold-bearing veins in this area. This formation was located in a shallow, marine-like environment on the edge of the North American continent. Farther east, there was dry land.
In this area, a subduction zone formed when the tectonic situation changed during the Jurassic Period (175 million years ago). This region underwent a metamorphosis into schist when the Pacific Ocean floor collided with the North American continent due to heat and pressure. The region that resulted is now referred to as the Julian Schist.
In those days, miners wore candles on their hats, but now it is well-lit thanks to electricity. The lights were turned off during the tour, so it was completely dark. A miner back then would make $1.50 per day and have a chance to make a significant discovery.
In the process, he was also exposed to cyanide and mercury. Eight hours might pass before someone came to check on him if his candle went out. Most would be sent into another dimension by dynamite explosions in a rumbling, dark tunnel with 1000 feet of rock above them.
There is still gold in the mountain, but extracting it would be risky and expensive. For the time being, one can examine these artifacts from the past to learn about the struggles that the first prospectors faced while pursuing their dream of finding gold. The desire to become wealthy, strike it rich, and find the mother lode is still present.