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Miners

A young boy is standing beside his father who is kneeling in front of the entrance to a mine. The man is holding a shovel and a pick-axe. The man is wearing the little boy's hat.

Basil Hartley Collection

In the early 1860’s, gold was discovered in Cherry Creek, just east of Lumby.  The discovery sparked a mini gold rush to the area.  Many of the families that would eventually settle in Lumby got their start in the gold fields of Cherry Creek.

Between 1876 and 1895, the original town site of Cherryville (17 miles east of Lumby) boasted a population of 500 people, half of whom were Chinese miners.  The town once supported three saloons, a blacksmith shop, barber shop and several dozen cabins.

The largest nugget reportedly mined at Cherry Creek weighed over 241 grams or 8.5 ounces.  Today, that nugget would be worth over $10,000.00!