Central Eureka Mine

The Central Eureka Mine stands roughly three-quarters of a mile south-southeast of downtown Sutter Creek, its metal headframe still visible against the hillside. Originally worked as the Summit Mine from 1855 to 1875, the property was purchased in 1893 for $6,000 by the Central Eureka Mining Company and reopened in 1895. After consolidating with the Old Eureka in 1924, it became one of the three largest mines on the Mother Lode alongside the Kennedy and Argonaut, and by 1939 it was the best-paying mine in Sutter Creek.

The main shaft reached 4,500 feet deep, and over its lifetime the mine produced approximately 1.8 million ounces of gold along with silver, iron, zinc, lead, and copper. Like its neighbors, it was closed by federal order in 1942 during World War II. Unlike the Kennedy and Argonaut, the Central Eureka reopened after the war in 1946 and operated until its final closure in August 1958 — the last mine to close in Amador County. The site has since been gifted to the City of Sutter Creek, which has plans to develop a public minehead park with walking trails around the preserved headframe and stamp mill.