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Silver ore was discovered on the north-east side of the Worthington Mountain Range and the Worthington Mining District was organized in the fall of 1865. No mining was done until 1869, when additional deposits were discovered and the district was renamed Freyberg. By 1872 the district was known as Freiberg (some records show the name as Freiburg). A post office was set up and a smelter was built near the post office. Over 60 claims existed but between 1919 and 1968 a total production of only $18,000 has been documented.
Between 1980 and 1982 the Freiberg Mining Corp. was active in the district. A dirt landing strip was constructed and ore was mined from a pit at the north end of the district. Leach ponds were constructed near the landing strip. However, no significant production was recorded.
Today the main access road leads to the area at the north end of the Freiberg mining district that was mined most recently. The landing strip, remains of the leach ponds and the open pit are easily visible. From the center of that area a 4WD road in fairly good condition leads to the original center of the mining activity about 1.4 miles further south. The remains of a stone cabin (according to historic records once the post office) and the old smelter mark the original settlement. Two wood cabins, one from the original activity in the late 1800's and one likely built during the early 1980's activity, are the only other surviving structures. The newer cabin is in fairly good shape and appears to still be used occasionally. A note by the door shows a PO Box address in Caliente for the current owner.
The most recent addition to the area is a forest service radio repeater in an elevated location above the mining district. There is evidence of prospecting and vertical mine shafts are all over the area. Most mine shafts are fenced in with warning signs, but some of them are not secured and are hard to see. Explore the area with caution.
The old smelter in the center of the original 1870's mining area [04/25/2020]
View over Garden Valley [04/25/2020]
According to historic records this stone cabin near the smelter served as post office [04/25/2020]
Wood cabin in a canyon near the north end of the mining district [10/11/2014]
Aerial view of the cabin. The roof was once covered with dirt for insulation [04/25/2020]
This more recent cabin was probably built in the early 1980's when the district was explored by the Freiberg Mining Corp.
There is evidence that this cabin is still used occasionally. An address near the door lists an owner in nearby Caliente [04/14/2020]
The cabin may need a little TLC, but the view from the porch is hard to beat [04/14/2020]
One of many vertical mine shafts in the area. Not all of them are fenced in. Worthington Peak in the background [04/14/2020]
More recent surface mining by the Freiberg Mining Corp. 1980-82 [04/14/2020]
