Banker Mine

General Location

Many mines have come and gone and sometimes come again over the years. Some have led to firmly established towns, but others have left only dilapidated buildings in their wake. In the latter category is the Banker Mine. Located near the now-deserted town of Winfield, it was discovered by Godfried King and Fred Aude in the late 1890's. They laid eight claims and shortly thereafter began a tunnel that would grow to be 3,700 feet long, where most of the ore extraction took place. The mine complex also grew to include an office, housing, an assay office, compressors, machine drills, and two 100-horsepower boilers. Notwithstanding, water built up in the profitable mine and the air became bad. After a time, the mine operated only on-and-off and closed for the last time in 1927.