Since its discovery, the Brazos River has had a reputation for quenching people’s thirst. It was originally called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios (“The River of the Arms of God”) by early Spanish explorers, presumably because it was the first water they had encountered in many miles.
Long before it was a world-class ski town, Olympic Games venue, or host of the Sundance Film Festival, Park City, Utah, was one of the richest silver mining centers in the world.
In October 1868, prospectors discovered a silver vein in the mountains above the future site of Park City. The Ontario Mine, one of the district’s largest producers, opened in 1874 and ignited the boomtown atmosphere of the region. More prospectors arrived in droves, carried by the newly complete Transcontinental Railroad.
PASADENA, Calif.— In December 2015, SWCA Environmental Consultants published a book on the San Gabriel Mission as the latest offering from our Anthropological Research Papers series. The book, titled Abundant Harvests: The Archaeology of Industry and Agriculture at San Gabriel Mission is now available as an e-book (see links below to download).