Welcome to The Kennedy Mine Foundation Mining Archive

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Kennedy Gold Mine - Jackson CA photo 1914 Kennedy Gold Mine
Miners and Workers of the Kennedy Gold Mine in 1914.

The Mining Archive is a state-of-the-art climate-controlled facility built and dedicated in 2012 to house collections including the original operating documents of the famous Kennedy Gold Mine. These papers have a great value to both historians and genealogists alike, and encompass the history of the mining industry in Amador County, California. Download the KMFM Archive brochure in PDF..

 Historic Documents in the Collection:

Holdings include many of the records from 1886 through 1942, the 56 years of continuous operation by the last company to own the mine. They cover personnel records, operations, maps of the underground workings, plans for on-site facilities, letters to and from the Kennedy Mine, legal actions, ore quality and quantity, financial balance sheets, and purchases of supplies, land and other mines. Also photos of the operations from the 1870s to the present and fire insurance maps of the facility at various times during its operation.

Personnel records include Payroll ledgers, applications, accident reports, California insurance, as well as other miscellaneous documents.

There are bound volumes of copies of the letters from the Kennedy Mine Superintendent to the Mine Board as well as all other letters he sent. Of particular interest are the Superintendent's view of accidents at the Mine and the Mine's legal liability in them. They provide a narrative of progress from a marginal financial gamble, through wildly successful times, then decades of eking out a marginal living, and finally government-mandated shutdown.

There are a few records of operation of the mine prior to 1886, and perhaps extending back to the 1860s.

The Kennedy Mine Archive also has documents and pictures relating to the mine after it was no longer in operation, from 1942 to the present. This includes about 10 years of ownership by its last Superintendents, 33 years by Sybil Arata until 1994, and finally, from 1996 to the present by the non-profit Kennedy Mine Foundation.

Finally, there are operational records from other local mines (including the Argonaut Mine, Central Eureka and Zeila), texts, maps of the Mother Lode, and other Mother-Lode and mining related documents.

Kennedy Gold Mine - Jackson CA North Shaft
Historic Photo - North Shaft

The following document types are available:

Record look-up cost:

There will be a research charge for an Archivist to do a record search, and to make copies.
Thank you for your support. These funds are used to support the preservation and conservation of documents, and for the maintenance of the archives. Download our Research Fee Schedule [PDF].

Here are the forms you need to fill out, to enable us to help you. Please fill out the appropriate form with as much information as you can:

If you have a family member who worked at the Kennedy mine: Employee search [PDF].
If you are doing General or Commercial research: General Research [PDF]
If you wish to have copies of materials sent to you or wish to make an appointment to research in person, please fill out: Researcher Registration [PDF] and sign our Copyright Agreement [PDF]. Description of Materials will be filled out by the Archivist.

If you have any questions about filling out these forms please email us: archives@kennedygoldmine.com for assistance.

Researchers Can Browse Digitized Records in Person

The Archive is currently open to the public by appointment only. Download the KMFM Archive brochure in PDF

Genealogists, Historians, Contact Us for More Information:

We welcome inquiries:

 

Historic Photos Are Available:

Kennedy Gold Mine - Jackson CA Mine before Fire
Historic photo of the Kennedy
Gold Mine before the fire.
Kennedy Gold Mine - Jackson CA Tailings Wheel
The Famous Kennedy
Gold Mine Tailing Wheels
Kennedy Gold Mine - Jackson CA Covered Tailings WheelKennedy Tailings Wheel
Historic Photo - Kennedy Tailings Wheel (Covered)