The Sound Democrat Mill is an awesome find and one of the highlights of the San Juan Mountains. The mine was first discovered in 1899. Gold and silver ore from the mine was packed on mules over a 13,000 ft ridge to the Sunnyside Mill in Eureka Gulch.
In 1905, this mill was built closer to the mine to process ore from the Sound Democrat and the adjacent Silver Queen mines. The mill originally had four Nissen stamps, and around 1909, it was enlarged to seven. It ran for a few more years until 1914 when the mine and stamps fell silent. Nissen stamps are rare, especially out in the wild. Check out the Oakland Mine and the Indian Mine for more examples.
Inside the stamp mill
