History

The need for the Argo Tunnel and the Argo Mill began on a cold day in January, 1859 when George A. Jackson made the first major discovery of gold in Colorado at the confluence of what is today's Chicago Creek and Clear Creek here in Idaho Springs.

The great Rocky Mountain goldrush had begun and almost overnight 50,000 men poured into Clear Creek Canyon, stretching from today's city of Golden, West to Silver Plume and North over Seaton Mountain to Central City. Many of these miners would be rewarded well: the diggin's around Idaho Springs yielded over one million seven hundred thousand dollars at $18.00 to $35.00 per ounce of gold!

With the closing of the tunnel, the Argo Mill ceased operations as well and sat abandoned for many years. In February 1976 the property was purchased by James N. Maxwell to preserve the quickly disappearing history of mining in Colorado and Clear Creek County. The five-story mill was renovated and opened to the public as a historic and educational tour.

Most of the equipment used for processing the gold ore remains in place. The bottom level of the mill serves as a museum displaying mining and milling artifacts, old payroll records, milling receipts, and old photographs. Each year, the "Mighty Argo" tours guests from over forty states and over twenty foreign countries. The Argo Mill is a favorite educational and entertaining outing for many public schools who bring students from all grade levels including, engineering students from the Colorado School of Mines.

The Argo Mill has been featured in many national publications and has been the set for several film productions. Because of the historic significance and impact that the Argo Tunnel and Mill played in local and state mining history, it was placed on the National Historic Register by the Department of the Interior in 1977.