The 'Oakesdale' Silver Strike
After years of speculation, prospectors discover a rich vein of steel silver on the Crawford farm, sparking excitement for the region's mineral future.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
For a number of years, it has been the belief of investors and mineralogists that a ledge, rich in steel silver, lay on the J. P. Crawford farm, four miles southwest of Oakesdale. After several unsuccessful searches by various prospectors, C. L. Craig and his brother J. H. Craig, an experienced prospector, began a new effort. After two weeks of work, they succeeded in uncovering a vein of five feet, carrying lead and galena. The mine has been named 'Oakesdale.' Mr. Craig expressed his belief that the day is not far distant when Oakesdale will come into prominence on account of mineral deposits hitherto not believed to exist.
“Mr. Craig expressed his belief that the day is not far distant when Oakesdale will come into prominence on account of mineral deposits hitherto not believed to exist.”
The dream of finding hidden mineral wealth was a powerful driver of early 20th-century boosterism in the Inland Northwest. While the Oakesdale strike did not transform the town into a mining hub, it captures the era's optimism about local natural resources.
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