Tubal Cain Mine is an abandoned

copper mine Copper extraction is the multi-stage process of obtaining copper from its ores. The conversion of copper ores consists of a series of physical, chemical, and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ...

in the

Buckhorn Wilderness The Buckhorn Wilderness is a mountainous wilderness area on the northeastern Olympic Peninsula in Washington, USA. Named after Buckhorn Mountain (), the wilderness abuts the eastern boundary of Olympic National Park which includes nearby Mo ...

, east of

Olympic National Park Olympic National Park is a national park of the United States located in Washington, on the Olympic Peninsula. The park has four regions: the Pacific coastline, alpine areas, the west-side temperate rainforest, and the forests of the drier e ...

in the US state of

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

. The main adit penetrates 450 meters into Mount Worthington. The mine is named after

Tubal-Cain Tubal-cain or Tubalcain ( – ''Tūḇal Qayīn'') is a person mentioned in the Bible, in , named therein as the first blacksmith. He is stated as the "forger of all instruments of bronze and iron". A descendant of Cain, he was the son of Lamec ...

, a character mentioned in the

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

. The

Book of Genesis The Book of Genesis (from Greek language, Greek ; ; ) is the first book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its Hebrew name is the same as its incipit, first word, (In the beginning (phrase), 'In the beginning'). Genesis purpor ...

4:22 says that Tubal-cain was a "forger of all instruments of bronze and iron," a

metalsmith A metalsmith or simply smith is a craftsperson fashioning useful items (for example, tools, kitchenware, tableware, jewelry, armor and weapons) out of various metals. Smithing is one of the oldest list of metalworking occupations, metalworking o ...

History

In 1902,

copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...

was discovered in the

Dungeness River The Dungeness River is a long river located in the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Constance in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park, flows through the Buckhorn Wilderness, passes by the ...

drainage. The ore was said to have both copper and gold. Later that year, the Tubal-Cain Copper & Manganese Mining Co. headquartered in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

built a trail and began to mine ore out of the area. After an avalanche in 1912, which destroyed the main sawmill, powderhouse, and barn and clubhouse, activity at the mine declined. The mine never produced a dime of profit. Most geologists believe upheaval of the Olympic Mountains broke and scattered any large veins or pods of ore that may have existed.Taylor, Eva Cook. The Lure of Tubal Cain Mine. Jefferson County Historical Society: Port Townsend. 1972. The mine produced hints of low-grade ore, and was abandoned in the early 1920s. Two camps were established: Copper City at the bottom of Mt. Buckhorn, and Tull City located in Tull Canyon. Evidence of these camps such as metal

boilers A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central ...

, wire, a

Pelton wheel The Pelton wheel or Pelton Turbine is an Impulse (physics), impulse-type water turbine invented by American inventor Lester Allan Pelton in the 1870s. The Pelton wheel extracts energy from the impulse of moving water, as opposed to water's dead w ...

, and old cabin foundations are still visible today.

References

Copper mines in the United States Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Washington Mines in Washington (state) {{JeffersonCountyWA-geo-stub