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Paris Mill Colorado

Photos Mike Sinnwell October 2014

The Paris mine, discovered in 1878, was located on Mount Bross. The Paris mine needed a mill and in 1895 it got one at an elevation of 11,003 feet. The facility was built to stamp and crush gold ore during the mining boom of the late 1800’s.  The mill is located in Buckskin Gulch and operated from 1896 through 1937 supporting numerous mines in the area. Like many other mills it had periods of inactivity. Several of these closures were to upgrade the mill with new technology to process the changing quality of the ore.

The Paris mill was well equipped as it had a stamp mill, a rod mill, and a ball mill. These mills still remain along with much of its original machinery which was used for crushing and grinding ore. The mill is a good representative of several generations and methodologies.

A 1,750 foot aerial tramway was built to haul the ore from the mine to the mill. The tramway was constructed to support a hauling capacity of 50 Tons.

Still obvious are many belts, pulley and shafts used by the mill’s original steam engine to power equipment throughout the mill. In later years it was converted to a steam-electric operation.  The Paris Mill produced gold, silver, and lead for decades.  

In the future the plan is to perform the necessary repairs and open the mill for the public. Currently the mill is NOT open to the public.

A special Thanks to Amy Unger for arranging a tour for a group of volunteers. If you are interested in helping go here - http://www.southparkheritage.org/paris-mill