Large crowd sees presentation on area's gold mining history

Menifee 24/7 photos and video: Kristen Spoon

Local historian and geology expert Paul Price made a detailed presentation to a crowd of more than 60 people Saturday on the history of gold mining and mining of all kinds in the Menifee area.

Price, a Canyon Lake resident who is also an expert on Native American history of the area, presented a slide show and displayed dozens of artifacts related to mining in Riverside County. He discussed the location of local mines that have long ago been covered over but that still have traces of the extensive mining efforts here.

The event was sponsored by the Menifee Valley Historical Association, which holds meetings every other month at the Antelope-Menifee Rural Center on Haun Road. Volunteers, including longtime residents, have worked hard to preserve local artifacts, photos, letters and other items. Many are displayed in the Menifee History Museum, located on Garbani Road in the former Menifee Elementary School net to Menifee Valley Middle School.

Items on display included tools used by miners to provide light and dig for gold veins in the miles of tunnels under the area, as well as items used to weigh and measure gold samples.

For more information on the Menifee Valley Historical Association, visit www.menifeehistory.com. To view a recording of Menifee 24/7's Facebook Live video of Price's presentation, see below.

Gold mining video featuring Paul Price