The Set
Two volumes. Sixteen Records. What really happened underground.
Picks, drills, hoists and smelters. Then the pits, tunnels and shafts themselves, from the first miners on Lake Superior to the great works that came after.
Illustrated PDF · Audio edition · Instant download
The complete field record of America's old mines.
Every photograph, drawing and map comes from public-domain or openly licensed sources and is captioned with what it shows. Facts, our own reading of them, and what we could not confirm are kept apart and labeled.
What you get
- Volume 1: The Tools Behind the Legends96 pages
The real picks, drills, saws, bells, hoists and furnaces of the old mines.
- Volume 2: Built Underground88 pages
The first miners' pits, then the tunnels, ladders, doors and rooms that came after.
- Strange Finds on RecordBoth volumes
Odd finds that really were reported in their day: what was written, what was checked, what was never confirmed.
- The audio editionMP3
Every Record read aloud, for the car, the kitchen or tired eyes.
- 24 framable photo platesPrint
Print them and hang them on the wall.
- Mining map and timeline2 posters
Two 18 by 24 inch posters: where it happened and when.
- Your Family UndergroundGuide
Where to look for a relative's mining past, and pages to write it down.
- Share it with your familyHousehold
One purchase for your household. Send it to your children and grandchildren.
- Every future volume, freeIncluded
Only if you buy before December 24. We email each one when it is ready.
Instant download · Pay once · Yours to keep
Watching on a TV? Point your phone at this code and finish there. It is easier to pay on a phone.
How it reads
One photograph. Then the same photograph, explained.
Before What you see
After What you can now read
123- The squared timbers. Heavy posts and caps frame the opening and hold the rock above it.
- The candle in its iron holder. Candles like this were the working light in many mines until carbide lamps arrived.
- The long-handled pick. A pick could break soft ground. Hard rock had to be drilled by hand and blasted.
Every Record has numbered notes like these. Parrot Mine, Butte, Montana, about 1900. Harry C. Freeman. Public domain.
What's inside
Exactly what is in the two volumes.
Each Record opens with a true story, shows how the work was done, names the people who did it, and tells you where you can still see it.
Volume 1 · 8 Records
The tools behind the legends.
- The Pick, the Bar and the ShovelThe plain hand tools that opened soft ground and cleared every blast
- Timbering the ShaftThe saw, the square set and the methods worked out on the Comstock Lode
- Drilling by HandSteels, sledges and black powder, and the crews who drove them into the rock
- The Hoist and the CageThe chains, cables and engines that carried men and ore
- Inside the SmelterFurnaces, tongs and ladles, and the men who worked beside the fire
- Light UndergroundFrom candles and iron holders to the carbide cap lamp
- Arrastras and Stamp MillsHow ore was crushed, from mule power to steam
- Bell Signals in the ShaftHow men far below told the hoist what to do
Volume 2 · 8 Records
What they built underground.
Part One: The First Miners
- The Ancient Pit at the Minesota Mine
- The Minong Pits of Isle Royale, and who really dug them
- Santa Rita and the Spanish Workings
Part Two: What Came After
- Tunnels in the Gravel: California's Drift Mines
- The Sutro Tunnel
- Getting Down: Ladders, Stairs and the Man Engine
- Doors Underground and the Boys Who Opened Them
- Rooms and Pillars
In both volumes
Strange Finds on Record.
Odd objects that really were reported in newspapers and journals of their day. For each one we show what was written, what was later checked, and what nobody has ever been able to confirm. Some turned out to be hoaxes, and we say so.
Look inside
Read one complete Record, free.
Drilling by Hand, start to finish, with every picture and every source. No email needed.
Download the free sample →Or get it by email, and hear when new volumes are ready
A page from Record 3: Drilling by Hand
In their words
What viewers are saying.
Real comments from our YouTube channel, word for word. The Old History is new, so they are about the videos, not this book.
What readers say
You asked. We went and found it.
Records drawn from
- U.S. National Archives
- U.S. Geological Survey
- U.S. Bureau of Mines
- State geological surveys
Who is behind this
Hello. I'm [Name].
Our videos are dramatized stories set in real places. This book is not.
Behind every episode we were left with real photographs, drawings and mine reports that never fit on the screen. So we put the best of them here, with notes on what to look for, and we name where they came from.
If you have a question, or you find a mistake, write to us at . You will get an answer.
[Name]
Is this for you
Why not just watch the videos or search online?
If this sounds like you, we made this for you
- Someone in your family went underground, and you would like to know what those days were really like.
- You have stood near an old headframe or a caved-in tunnel and wondered who worked there.
- You believe the people who dug this country's copper, silver and coal should be remembered.
| What you get | Our videos | Free archives | The Record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Only real, documented material | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Time to study every picture | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Numbered notes on what you see | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| All gathered in one place | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Can be heard as well as read | ✓ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Pages for your own family | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Yours to keep and print | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
Order
The whole set, one price.
- Pay on the secure Gumroad page.
- Get your files at once, on screen and by email.
- Read, listen, print.
Try it for 30 days. If it is not for you, email us and we will refund you in full. That is our promise. [Name]
Secure checkout by Gumroad. Cards and PayPal accepted. Prices are in US dollars, and checkout may show your local currency. Any sales tax or VAT is shown there before you pay.
Questions
Before you buy.
What exactly do I get?
Files you download: two volumes in PDF, the audio edition in MP3, 24 photo plates, two posters and the family record guide. Nothing is mailed to you.
How and when do I get it?
Right after you pay. You reach a download page at once and receive a receipt by email with your link, so you can come back to it whenever you like.
Is this the same as the videos?
No. Our videos are dramatized stories set in real places and times. The Record holds only the real material: the documents, photographs, maps and the facts they support. You will not find the giant objects from the videos in these pages, because they are not part of the historical record.
Can't I find these pictures for free?
Many of them, yes, and we tell you where each one lives. What you pay for is the searching, checking, dating and explaining, gathered in one place.
I'm not good with computers. Will this be hard?
What if I don't like it?
Email us within 30 days and we will refund you in full. You don't have to give a reason.
Can I give it as a gift?
Yes. You can send it as a gift through the checkout, or print the pages yourself. It arrives instantly, so it works right up to the last minute.
Can I listen in the car?
Yes. The audio edition is ordinary MP3 files that play on a phone, a computer or anything else that plays music.
Can I print it?
Yes, on ordinary letter paper. The two posters are 18 by 24 inches, so most people take those to a copy shop.
Will it work on my phone or tablet?
Yes. PDFs open on phones, tablets and computers. A tablet or a printout is the most comfortable way to read.
Is my card safe? What will my statement say?
Payment is handled by Gumroad, and we never see your card number. Gumroad is the merchant of record, so your receipt and card statement will show Gumroad.
Why does the price go up?
The launch price is for the first readers. Each date on this page is real, and when a date passes, that price ends.
Who is this not for?
Anyone who wants a printed book in the mail, modern mining instruction, or secret discoveries. These are public records, carefully chosen and explained.
Who makes this?
[Name] and the team behind the YouTube channel. The facts come from the public records cited in the book.
How were these records chosen?
Every photograph, drawing and map comes from public-domain or openly licensed sources, and each is captioned with what it shows. No colorizing inside the book. Facts, our own reading of them and what we could not confirm are kept apart and labeled. If you find a mistake, write to us and we will correct it for every reader.
Last call
They went underground before daylight. Keep what they left behind.
$19. 30-day money back.
Get the set →$19 until December 7, then $29.