Willey Cruikshank Discovered the Last Chance Mine

Willey Cruikshank watched Chinese placer miners in Salmon Creek as a boy and dreamed of finding a bonanza. His faith was justified when he discovered the “Last Chance” mine in Los Burros. This started a gold rush - almost overnight a town called Manchester sprang up with hotel, store and 13 saloons. He sold out to the Buclimo Company in 1887 who worked the mine until they struck water too deep to pump.