Gold King and Gold Queen Mines Promise But Don't Deliver
By Amber Ward

The Gold King and Gold Queen mines had initially rekindled hope for the "slumbering" Julian mining period between 1877-1888.

Geologist W.A. Goodyear, was impressed in 1888 with the discovery of "several small stringers of quartz," that were no more than two- to three-inches thick, and very rich with course gold.

The specimens found were showing gold at the rate of $40,000 to $50,000 per ton. In comparison, the Helvetia Mine, the fourth-richest gold mine in the Julian/Cuyamaca area, produced ore from a 10-inch vein at the rate of $20 per ton in 1887. The Gold King claim seemed to promise millions.

The Gold King and Queen mines are adjoining mines that were discovered late in the Julian mining period. They were registered simultaneously in the Julian Mining Records in April 1888. The mines are located five miles southeast of Julian, at an altitude of 4,700 feet and just one mile off Highway 79.

Their location was one that was unexpected. The claim sits between two very successful mines: the Golden Chariot Mine and the Stonewall Mine.

The initial hype, and hope, behind the discovery of the Gold King's unusually rich surface ore was probably due to its closeness to two of Cuyamaca's richest mines.

Early visitors to the mines were very impressed by the high-quality ore found on the surface. They were sure they had found the big one.

Both mines were worked between 1888 and 1900. The Gold King Mining Co., from Pomona bought both mines and another in Banner in 1890 for an unknown amount.

The miners sank a 134-foot shaft with a 400-foot drift at the Gold King, and still did not find the vein that they had hoped for. The Gold King Mining Co. built a ten-stamp mill in Banner.

This custom mill was running in 1891, and processed ore from several other mines including the Ranchita Mine before it had its own stamp mill.

In 1896, investors from St. Louis purchased the Gold King Mining Co. Painstakingly, they had to bring the ore to Banner for processing. This prompted them to build a stamp mill at the mines' site, along with a few houses, a bunk house, and a guest house for spectators. Sadly, both mines produced less than $25,000 each.

Today, the Gold King and Gold Queen mines sit quietly on private property near the K Q Ranch. Both entries were covered several years ago, and two piles of rubble, remnants of the mine tailings, are all that is left of the once hopeful claim.