Abandoned Independence Mine

The first gold vein was found in 1906 and from there this northern town became a boomtown. Hitting the motherlode proved quite profitable until WWII when gold-mining was forbidden by law. After the ban was lifted, the U.S. government mandated that gold could only be sold to the U.S. at $35 per oz. It's no wonder that this suppressed the profitability and therefore the mine shut down. Being built in recent history, the little town has many of the original buildings including the cabins where the miners lived. This idyllic mining camp nestled in the mountains is a great value activity for families.