James Gaines was 74 years of age when he came to Mariposa county from Texas in 1850. A native of Culpepper County, Virginia, Gaines had come at the urging of his sons, who were said to have secured profitable claims not far from Mariposa. At its location five miles northeast of Hornitos, the elder Gaines located a ledge of gold-bearing quartz. The hill on which his mine was situated soon became known as Mount Gaines.

Gaines had lent his hand in the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836, and undoubtedly was a favorite of his neighbors at Quartzburg, the closest settlement (incidentally) comprised chiefly of former Texans. In the 1850s Captain Gaines regularly attended meetings of the Masonic order there. In an official capacity, he is said to have served as a judge in Mariposa (he'd held the position of Justice of the Peace at Quartzburg as well) and enjoyed some of the fruits of his quartz mine. But due to his advanced age it is likely that James Gaines had hired outside parties to operate his claim.

Late in 1854, his friend Thomas Thorn, caretaker of the failed mining town of Quartzburg, died. About that time Mary Thorn welcomed Gaines as a permanent resident at her boarding house, and the old frontiersman insisted helping her out at the postal office. Time had had its way with him and the following year Gaines fell gravely ill. His only companion, the widow Thorn, nursed him until his dying day, which came November 12, 1856. Sadly, Captain Gaines did not get to see the huge success his mine had become.

An expensive 10-stamp mill was erected in '62 but perished during a fire. Profits had been good, and another mill was speedily built.

The turn of the century saw production of the Mount Gaines mine hit the million dollar mark. Reaching to a depth of 1,300 feet, its mine shaft was unique in Mother Lode country; other mines had a much steeper angle, but the Gaines measured only 30-35 degrees from horizontal. Over the years several private parties sought its riches, employing scores of local miners. Houses sprang up and streets were laid out, lined with all the conveniences of neighboring towns, including stores and a sizeable schoolhouse.

James Gaines would have been quite pleased to know that his little mine had flourished and grown, eventually having developed into one of the top five highest paying mines in the county's history. One hundred years after the passing of its discoverer, Mount Gaines had yielded a reported 4 million dollars.



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james gaines, quartzburg, texans, agua fria, bear valley, hornitos, mount gaines, shootouts, duels, ghost towns, 49ers, mariposa, california history, mariposa history, legends, bandits, outlaws, lawmen, desperadoes, mariposa county, mariposa county history, mariposa legends, peace officers, hi