Forty Elk Grove Historical Society guests boarded the chartered bus at the museum at 8:00 am and headed to Grass Valley to the Empire Mine, site of the one of the largest, richest, and longest-operating (1850-1956) gold mines in California. We arrived and started our first tour of the “Cottage” and grounds. The second tour was of the Mine Yard where we were able to look down one of “367 miles of deep mine shafts,” The deepest at 8,000 feet. Lunch followed with an option of chicken or meat pasties which was what the miners ate everyday during their 10 hours, six days week shift. Afterwards we took a casual stroll through the many garden and then boarded the bus arriving back in Elk Grove before 5:00. It was warm but very interesting.
