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The Polar Star Mill by Joseph Crea
October 26, 2005
A Historical Update -
Those of you who have purchased Digital Video Images’
“Mines & Mills of the Colorado Rockies” or “Gilpin Ghost”
may recall viewing the Polar Star Mill in Black Hawk. This
is the oldest mill in a town once full of mills which
processed gold ore from the many mines. Built in 1868, it
is the sole remaining survivor of the old mills, and has a
rich history. Early records indicate that the large stone
structure housed 40 stamps for the crushing of the ore. Its
primary source of power was from a large water wheel,
completely contained within the building. For backup, in
times of low or frozen water, a coal-fired boiler and steam
engine were also present.
I have drawn plans of this mill, as it appeared when the
Gilpin and Colorado & Southern railroads accessed the mill,
in the last decade of the 19th century. These plans will
appear in the November/December issue of “Narrow Gauge &
Short Line Gazette.” The owner of the mill at the time we
did the videos was Norm Blake, a long-time resident of
Black Hawk. In fact, he had lived there all his life. The
Polar Star Mill had been purchased by his father in the
late 1930’s. Norm himself appears in the “Gilpin Ghost”
video.
Sadly, Norm passed away a few years ago, and those of us
who admired his accomplishments as a miner and state mining
inspector are left only with the wonderful stories he told.
They covered quite a range, from mining disasters to the
antics of movie star Tom Mix in Central City in the 1930's.
I treasure those memories.
Ownership of the Polar Star Mill has passed to his son, who
is thankfully as determined to preserve the structure as
his father was. It’s no easy matter, as the building sits
amid huge gambling casinos, and the pressure for
development is severe. Recently, however, the City of Black
Hawk has come forward with a substantial grant which will
make it possible to strengthen and preserve this venerable
mill, and it appears that it will be there for future
generations to view. All of us who are interested in the
history of the area applaud this development.
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