Gold in the dunes
1932
In the 1920s, prospectors found fine gold in the sand of the Great Sand Dunes, and a small rush followed along Medano Creek. Placer miners washed the creek sand, and local papers put its worth anywhere from 17 cents to $3 a ton. In 1932 the Volcanic Mining Company built a mill at the edge of the creek, with pipes and vats to separate out the gold. People in Alamosa and Monte Vista feared that mining and sand hauling would wreck the dunes, and women of the valley's P.E.O. chapters pushed for federal protection. On March 17, 1932, President Herbert Hoover proclaimed Great Sand Dunes National Monument, which ended mining in the dunes. Remnants of the mill can still be seen near the main Dunes parking area.
Photo: NPS/Patrick Myers, Medano Creek below the dunes, 2019, Public domain, source
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