Life As An 1800s Silver Miner! 

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Brent, someone in the live chat asked if you could do a video on the food that the miners and townspeople may have eaten. I also would find that very interesting. The fact that there is not much wildlife to hunt and gardening would have been difficult so they would have had to cart everything in is fascinating. I wonder how varied their diet was?

You're teaching most of us something we wouldn't have a chance to know without your videos. You are so appreciated! Thank you sincerely!!

This was honestly our favorite video yet! So much detail about what it was like back in the day, we had no idea the town was so big!

Timestamp: 5:32 "About 1870, there's reports of 4000 people were living here. Which just is insane to think about... 1870 is a great year to use. That's the year they did a census here at Cerro Gordo and looking through it, you just see all sorts of nationalities, you know, there is people from China, from Germany, from England, from Scotland, from Chile, from all over the place." This stuck out to me because through this channel, I have seen people from all over the world! We may not all be at Cerro Gordo, but we are there with you when you share these videos with us. I also loved the sound of clanging and hammering as you narrated the story. I really was taken back in time. ❤️ Thank you, Brent, for the walk down history lane. Looking forward to your next video.

Wow. The realization that miners worked with almost no light, and even in the dark, just blew my mind. There must have been constant falls and injuries.

This is close to being a masterpiece of televisual informational production, presentation, and camerawork. The pacing is perfect. Eg, you have long clips which change view as you look around but they are at a pace that holds the attention and intrigues rather than making me giddy. All the while, you speak with crystal clarity for my elderly ears - managing to balance both a sense of thrill with an economy of words. There's no patronising the viewer as a know-nothing nor any silly giggle 'wowee' you get in so many American wildlife programmes. It's a superb balance of wonder and erudition. Even viewed on a small phone, you convey: the intimacy and ramshackle form of a shack; the size and industrial nature of the engine shed; and the vast remoteness of the landscape. Brilliant! Congratulations!

It's amazing how they got all that lumber deep into the mines for structure support and to build ladders. It's not like those mountains had plenty of trees around them from what I've seen.

You are the perfect person to have taken this task on. Your personality, vocabulary, intellect, speaking ability, humor… thank you for what you do Brent.

Glad you talked about the lighting situation they had to deal with back then. I'd imagine with such low lighting for prolonged amounts of time really starts to put you deep inside your own mind. Those were some mentally tough men.

When I first found your channel I just thought "oh this sounds like an interesting video" because at the time I was watching a ton of urbex videos, anything abandoned history related was cool to me, but I'd never seen an abandoned mining town video before so I checked it out. Fast forward about a year and now I'm super invested in your series and this history that I never even considered before. You probably don't consider yourself part of the urbex community but that's definitely what brought me here to begin with. Abandoned places of all kinds are incredibly cool and I love how you created a whole new branch of that entertainment for me all based around this one mining town. Your drive is inspiring. There's tons of videos of people exploring forgotten places but not nearly as many videos about people actually trying to preserve those places, especially not to the extent you're doing it. We need more of this in the world, not just for mining towns but for all sorts of abandoned places. You're doing an amazing thing here, man and I've learned so much from watching you. I just wanted to give back by expressing my appreciation for what you do and I hope my comment adds fuel to the fire that keeps you motivated to do what you do for years to come.

You rock Brent! Thank you for being you! My grandfather was a coal miner and you have given me such a new appreciation for his efforts!

I would love for a video filmed mostly in carbide light as you explain how it changed the game for the industry. Do a series of how early technology changed the lives of the miners for good and ill. edit: forgot to add that these are becoming epic and your narration, story telling, and cinematography are becoming more legendary with every new episode. Freaking masterpieces.

Your passion for this place is contagious! Always excited to see your videos! You are an amazing story teller and have inspired me as I restore vintage tools and furniture on my channels. Although most of the items you find should be kept original, it would be a dream to restore something from Cerro Gordo. Thank you for sharing! Barry

Thank you Brent for providing a detailed accounting of the lives of the people involved in Cerro Gordo. Your passion for this is unmatched and appreciated. As for myself i find this captivating as i have worked In the Sullivan Mine In Kimberly B.C. for 8 years. After Drilling it, Blasting it, Mucking it and crushing it i moved to Trail B.C. to continue the journey. I count myself fortunate to have seen the entire process from start to finish and am amazed at how many important products can be extracted responsibly from the earth. I`ve loaded rail cars with tons of pure silver, and held a gold bar in my hands worth over half a million dollars and that was over 20 years ago. Imagine how much it would be worth today. Now more than 40 years later, i`m still on that journey. Still learning. Keep up the great work and videos. I`ll be a forever fan.

Just an overwhelming great documentary on mining, especially since it directly ties into Cerro Gordo. You make it come alive and not forgotten. Great job, 3 thumbs up!. Keep up the history and preservation. Long live Cerro Gordo!

I have been waiting for a new video, you are one of the few channel's who I feel are genuine, and every video I have seen, I wished were longer. I would love to see your parent in a video, especially when you showed picture's of yourself as a kid with your dad, and you on a horse, maybe it was a pony. Posting early, waiting to see what's been going on. God bless.

I must admit, I'm getting addicted to watching these. Keep up the great work, keeping history alive is a noble endeavor.

Many of the mines here in South Australia started because observant graziers kicked over a bit of ore on the surface and decided to have a poke around. A century and a half later and we're still producing huge quantities of copper, as well as other precious metals. I'm constantly in awe of the early day miners and the lives they lived. One day I would love to come visit Cerro Gordo and see it first hand.

After binging through all the videos, now I get excited when a new one gets released. The wait is a killer.

How amazing would it be if someone had the capacity to recreate how mines were dug using the technology of the time and film it. I would love to see it in action, but your storytelling is the next best thing. I can’t imagine going so far deep in a mine with just candles or oil lamps. Someone had to carry lumber to build those ladders. Truly amazing what these people did.

I would have had a greater appreciation for history if I would have been exposed to stories like this as a student by a teacher such as yourself. It has been life affirming to have been able to be following you on your journey at Cerro Gordo. Thank you once again.

Your production and quality continues to improve. Watching you risk basically everything financially and physically is so inspiring. You're a mad man, but you're a very very entertaining madman.

Hi Brent, I'm one of those "silent followers" who's been following your journey since day 1. Just wanted to leave a comment to congratulate you - all your videos are extremely well done and very interesting, but this one totally exceeded the expectations. It's clear the effort to search for information, to make the videos, come up with a narration, gather the experts on the field, and all the small details that make your work stand out. Thank you for this. Keep up the amazing job!

Fantastic video Brent! You're so right, a "miner" wasn't a person but an umbrella of all who worked going down and risking their lives for a few bucks! Just to blow it all in the saloon and brothel! Lol

Compassionate history lesson: thank you, Brent. The candle segment shed some light (or not---grim!) on the crazy working conditions involved in the removing ore. ⛏🧨🕯💥

Rewatched and commenting to boost. Loved this dive into Cerro Gordo's history, especially hearing excerpts by ppl from that era. Its so fascinating!

Catching up on your videos and I have to say, I love the discovery but I'm absolutely infatuated with the history you share! Keep doing what you do and stay safe!

My boyfriend and I have been watching sense the first episode (we where a fan of urbex and bushcraft videos and thats when your stuff showed up, under latest uploads) we are finally in a situation to start saving some cash and head out there to help/visit 😃 we are super happy for you.

“dang it Darryl!!!” What a fantastic episode.Thank You!!!

Mate, this is a master class on how history should be taught. Far more interesting, and easily comprehensible than any textbook you could read on the subject. Can't wait for your book on Cerro Gordo, as with all this knowledge you're gathering, I think you'd be the perfect person to write a full and somewhat introspective history of the place.

This is really amazing footage. I grew up in Northern California in the canyons. There are gold mines and caves everywhere up here. I spent my teenage years crawling through these caves with my oldest brother. Something I would never do now as a older, wiser man. 🙂

Alfred Nobel's story is actually quite interesting. His brother was killed in an explosion, and the newspaper published an obituary for Alfred by accident, instead of his brother. The obituary said mean things about him, so he donated his will to the Nobel Peace Price, leaving a different kind of legacy.

I have been watching this channel since it began. I have gotten excited about Levi jeans and have bought myself one Levis because of this channel. Levis needs to SPONSOR this channel!!!

Brent! This video is one of my favorites! You are really outdoing yourself with these videos that speak to the history and heart of Cerro Gordo!

Dude! Fascinating stuff... mining was a brutal, brutal occupation and those who did it deserve respect - just found your channel and I'm beginning to enjoy it very much 🔥

Dude made a channel on Cerro Gordo Imagine the people before, knowing the land could be turned into one day, a community again. Crazy

Omg yusss I've been waiting 2 weeks for this new video Brent, your Chanel is by far the best and most genuine on RU-vid. What your doing for CG is absolutely amazing, I wish I could be apart of it but being in New Zealand I am happy to settle for your videos. Thank-you

This is a wonderful series. No matter what frightens me today, I know that I would not have been able to survive that time. Thank you.

I know in the mines in Daggett California, it was illegal to talk to the hoist operator because he needed full concentration to listen to the bells (a system to tell him which depth to send the hoist to). The consequences for talking to him were quite severe.

Yet another fantastic video thank you! Here in England we have tonnes of history but nothing fascinates me more than cerro gordo. Maybe it's the way you do your videos. Keep the videos coming.

Brent, the warm and comforting choice of music hits me when listening. The music is very tasteful. Would you be willing to share some of those pieces with us? It's nice calming background sound draws me in to listen in detail to what you're explaining to us as we watch your videos. Thank you Brent and too all the volunteers who help you on this amazing journey you share with us.

I LOVE Ghost Town Living. For so many reasons. I love learning the history and your passion for sharing it. You do incredible research to delve into the full picture of Cerro Gordo in place and time. But you are also a tirelessly hard worker reviving a piece if history. Plus you show duch care and affection for your animals. You have endless interesting adventures that you share with viewers. Plus, you are a modern day stoic with your contemplative teachings through your personal experiences at Cerro Gordo. Thank you! 😊❤️🇨🇦🙏

That was really cool! I've always wondered what it actually looked like to the miners of the day, to see how much light a candle actually gave them... amazing! Thank you!

I am sitting here in Kent England, and I am fascinated with what you do. I WOULD LOVE TO VISIT YOU AND EXPLORE THE MINES WITH YOU, BUT ALAS I AM TOO OLD WITH TO MANY THINGS GOING WRONG WITH ME. I USED TO BE INTO POT HOLING WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. THE NEXT BEST THING IS WATCHING YOU AND HEARING YOU TALK WITH SO MUCH PASSION ABOUT IT. PLEASE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.

This video was super cool and really fascinating! It really made me think about the conditions in the mines more. I never thought about how noisy it would of been with the explosions. And to think how quiet it is when you go down there these days. Can't wrap my head around it 😂. And it was great to see the mines lit by candlelight. I am shocked how little it lights up! You'd need lots of candles down there to see properly

Hi Brent! I am a geologist with a mining background (i currently work in O&G). When it comes to historical mining, we dont give enough credit to these original miners and native american tribes. These people were smart. Economic geology is complex with a lot of variety depending on the type of deposit. To be able to follow a deposit, especially if the ore is disseminated, is difficult to do. Add in to the fact they were using hand tools and didnt have the tech we hqve today such as magnet and gravity surveys and the feat of mining is that much more impressive

Probably the best narrated history lesson in the origins of mining I”ve watched. You put the viewer in the shoes of the miner. Thank you. 😁🇦🇺👍🏻

I love hearing all the different voices you’ve added! Your the calming voice that makes the videos so wonderful to watch, but adding your friends (all so different and interesting) is just the cherry on top! Thank you for all your dedication to your dream. You really are inspiring!

I have some additional information that's you might find interesting. The gold rush miners were taking their wagon trains threw New Mexico they had this heavy mud sticking to their wagon wheels and years later they figured out that the mud was laced with silver and lead. One little side note dynamite was initially stabilized with saw dust.

I've followed the channel since the beginning and I'm still spellbound by it. Sitting on the other side of the world almost (Sweden), it does always fell distant and while I will take my family and visit once the pandemic recedes enough it felt eerily good that one swede (Alfred Nobel) affected the place. While I am in not way related to the Nobel family I still felt 'connected' for the first time watching the channel. Love your work, keep on keepin' on!

I live in a small town called galena in Missouri. I always knew that the reason the town was named Galena was because of the miners mining for the ore. I guess I never realized how much work really went into gathering and refining and all of the other factors. I really enjoy your content. Keep up the good work

How a miner's day is lived when NOT mining, is one of the things I find MOST interesting.

I just bought a small mining camp on 2.16 acres in Red Mountain CA down the hill. Lots of history and photos maybe I'll come up and say hi 👋

Now I understand why you fell in love with this place, so fascinating!

Glued from the start, totally interesting and fascinating. Brent your videos just get better and better and your enthusiasm is infectious. Huge thanks for being you and saving Cerro Gordo. Diolch 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🤗

Here in Delaware everything used to be about Dupont, Hercules, and Atlas. The govt split them up but they all were still headquartered in northern Delaware and employed a large chunk of our population.

Greetings from Canada!

That is completely amazing to me. As a modern day union laborer I thought I had it rough. The part where you showed us how much lighting they didn't have using a few candles is insane and unimaginable. Those guys were some real workers..😁😅

Great history lesson for this episode! Good stuff Brent, enjoying it weekly...cheers!

This is fantastic - the level of depth it adds to the story that is going on is amazing! Thank you!

You’re living in an amazing place, and you’re an amazing and unique person. Thank you for showing and teaching us about times gone by. Stay safe. ❤️

I very much enjoyed this episode. You did a great job at bringing to reality what life was like at these times. Great job, Sir.

I'm sitting here looking back on when I found this channel.... episode 1 man I thought you were crazy taking on owning a ghost town and now here you are. Maybe one day I'll pull off something this great. This town is a huge part of history and you are keeping it alive. I respect that.

This was a awesome video loved all the history of your town....it went from 4000 people to one....how blessed is that 💜💜💜💜

My maternal great-grandfather and grandfather were coal miners in the Anthracite mines of Northeastern Pennsylvania. My great-grandfather perished in a mine collapse in 1937 and my grandfather perished in what is known as The Knox Mine Disaster in The River Slope Mine on January 22, 1959. He was a mine electrician who wired the mines for lighting. With the exception of one Uncle that died from Polio, all my grandfather's other brothers later died from Black Lung disease.

Brent. You have taught me to appreciate all the little and big things in life, I couldn't ask for you to do anything more, you are inspirational And are very well spoken! I now watch the sunrise and hope to watch the sunset soon, I love Cerro Gordo so very much and have writen so MANY pages about it, at least 21 and more to come. You are awesome and I inspire to be you one day. You are AWESOME!

Thank you for making this! I have been wanting a video like this on the town’s history. I find the lifestyles of the people who lived and worked there so fascinating. What a life they must have lived…

you should expand on this video, try to live a day in the life of a miner. waking up, getting breakfast, going to mine, coming home for dinner, maybe even a simulated oration of some kind with a text that might have been popular at the time. i think that would make for a great video and probably would be a load of fun.

Going to check out those books. I am fascinated with the old mines and mining towns here in my backyard. Eastern Nevada. I love my trips to explore the desert and old mines/towns up here in Northern Nevada. And in your neck of the woods when I can. As usual. Another well done video. Thanks for sharing. Glad you took a break for Thanksgiving! Jim G. :)

Thank you Brent,I love watching you and your Cerro Gordo it's so full of history and you tell it with so much passion.This episode was brilliant!!! I can't wait for the next.

Your uploads are the ones I look forward to the most, seeing your passion for Cerro Gordo puts a smile on my face every time. Keep it up Brent!

I check every day for a new video! Thanks Brent......

If you wanna guarantee your kid's success, name him Mortimer. You've never met a poor Mortimer.

That was fantastic Brent. Thanks for that episode. Funny, I already have most of those books. “Deep Enough” is definitely a must have. That guy has some incredible stories to tell about his times in mining camps all over the west. Keep up the great work.

This may be my favorite video yet! Well done Brent. Thank you!

A master class in story telling! Really enjoyed this episode, well done keep em coming.

This was beautiful content, Brent. The passion, the research, and the vigor you and fellow followers provide in a world often forgotten from days long gone that modern society takes for granted is enlightening! Always a gem to see your amalgamations in the life at such a great place. Thank you for bringing it to my frontal lobe! Enjoy the adventure.

Man I just wanna say thank you for bringing your experience to yt bc this way I’m able to experience it with you along the way. Enjoy the work keep it up!

Just a thought, considering how silent the mines are now, how incredible would it be to set off a single stick of dynamite in a drill hole whilst down there, to feel the thump of it and hear how incredibly powerful it must be in such a confined space. I bet it was an nerve racking experience in near darkness the first few times

Loved the video. I love learning the true history of places in and out of our country!

Wow Brett, this is one of your best videos. Lot’s of good content and pictures. Thank you for bringing Cerro Gordo home to us each week, Stay safe.

i love how you open your videos it always makes me smile

The amount of history in the mines and just in this town in general is just insane

Will there be a super bonus Christmas Special Episode 🎄😀😊

My friend, I’ve seen all of your videos :) 🤘🏻 This is 1 of its own !!! Loved it and so happy to be along for this story telling time… please do this again and god bless

One of the best so far - great job Brent!

i'd love to see a video about all the machinery in the hoist house. How they work, perhaps see them run if they're still functional etc

The Thrift Store near my place has shelves full of silverware accumulating that nobody wants. Everything donated was mostly inherited. The new generation just doesn't see the value in silver it seems. This is so weird. Especially after watching your video.

Definitely your best video yet. Loved how you brought together the literature, experts, and actual in-mine footage. Made it very easy to picture what it was like. Great work!

Brent, thank you so much for all the time and work it takes to put these videos out there. I anxiously await each new update, explore, venture and history lesson. I live in south now after 47 years in the Comstock and surrounding areas. Your videos really help heal the homesick heart

Just finished binge watching everything you've done. Absolutely love it. I'm curious if there is a cemetery close by and are there head stones. You can learn so much from the names and dates represented there.

I wonder if blasting in the mine could be heard or felt at surface?

Another Banger video Brent!! Thanks for all the content tuning in from Alberta Can!

Have missed seeing your posts... so glad you are doing well and posting!

You're awesome Brent!

great content as always, Brent - keep it up! cheers

Brent, I can't say this enough. I am SO happy that you acquired this town and what you have done with it so far is amazing. I impatiently wait every week for yet another video of you exploring, wandering, and teaching us of everything that went on in this town. Your narration and amazing video that is captured is top notch and I make sure to watch on my TV to get the high quality that you film it in. Absolutely beautiful landscapes and even just in the tunnels, it's awesome. Thank you, Brent, for giving us this opportunity to have an awesome view back in time alongside with you!! I hope someday I can make it out there to see it in person. Take care and be safe!!

Thanks for posting Trent! I love this channel. Thanks for sharing the history.

Hi love the channel keep doing good work on the videos and hi from the uk 🇬🇧