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Tom Irwin, a gold prospector, discovered a gold bearing vein here in 1879. Tom built a cabin and mined the gold vein for three years, then left the area. He blasted the hillside down to hide the mine before he left, leaving his track, mine car and tools inside — a sure sign that he intended to come back. However, he did not, and the mine stayed hidden and lost for over a hundred years. The Gold mine stayed hidden. In 1991, the owner saw water seeping out of the hillside. Hoping it was a spring, he dug into the bank and partially uncovered the portal. He put a piece of plywood over it and left it alone. In 1996, it was sold to the present owner, a retired miner, who uncovered the rest of the mine and rejuvenated it as a tourist attraction.