Burke Canyon

Burke Canyon in Idaho’s Silver Valley became a major hard-rock mining district after settlers arrived in 1884 and developed rich silver, lead, and zinc deposits around communities led by Burke. Rail connections beginning in 1887 helped make it one of the most developed mining areas in the Coeur d’Alene Mountains, but it was also central to the region’s violent labor wars, including deadly clashes in 1892 and 1899 over wages, hours, union membership, and mine owners’ tactics. Avalanches, fire, and flooding brought further destruction. Mining declined in the twentieth century, leaving near-ghost towns and lasting environmental contamination in Canyon Creek and the wider basin.

Mullan, Idaho · United States