ANTIOCH, Calif. — Antioch’s Black Diamond Mines Regional Protect presents guests a novel alternative to find out about California’s wealthy mining historical past.
“It is not usually that you just get to go to a park and go underground in a mine that was once an operational mine,” mentioned East Bay Regional Parks Naturalist Jessica Kauzer.
“Black Diamond Mines Regional Protect is unquestionably one of many Bay Space’s hidden gems, as a result of it is one thing most individuals have not seen earlier than,” mentioned East Bay Regional Parks Naturalist Jaclyn Caldwell.
Underground excursions permit guests to step again in time to discover how coal miners lived and labored.
“Being a coal miner right here was undoubtedly a troublesome job and labor-intensive job,” Caldwell mentioned.
“If you come and see the rails on the bottom, the carts, the shifters workplace, the whole lot you see right here is of the time interval,” Kauzer mentioned. “Attending to expertise what somebody nearly 100 years in the past would have skilled.”
Except for coal, Black Diamond Mines Protect additionally shares the areas in depth sand mining historical past.
In 1920, Marvin Greathouse, president of G. and M. Gravel firm, opened the Hazel Atlas Mine and began mining silica sand to be used in glassmaking
“The sand here’s a prime quality silica sand that isn’t discovered within the frequent seashore sand within the Bay Space,” Kauzer mentioned.
Whether or not it is the coal or sand historical past, Black Diamond Mines gives guests with an immersive expertise. Based on Caldwell, the mines nonetheless have extra historical past to be found.
“One of many thrilling issues about this place is we’re at all times studying extra and unearthing extra historical past and sharing that with the general public. I believe that is a very thrilling factor we get to do right here,” Caldwell mentioned.
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