Interviewer
Ed Mosier
Files
Description
Vincent “Vince” Simons describes moving to Montana from South Dakota by hopping a boxcar in 1931 in hopes of finding a lucrative job as a miner during the Great Depression. Simons recalls finding a job in 1933 with a gold dredging operation in Pioneer Gulch, Montana, working for the Pioneer Placer Dredging Company. Simons discusses the construction of the Mosier dredge, what sorts of materials were used in the construction process, the mechanics of the dredge in operation, and discusses the volume of earth the dredge could move and particularly large strikes. He also views photos of the dredge that indicate the various stages of construction and points out the different pieces of equipment and how they functioned. Simons talks about disputes among dredge workers and instances of “crookedness” within the dredging operation, as well as disputes between the company owners and surrounding landowners.
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Document Type
Oral History
Subjects
Great Depression, 1929-1939; Pioneer Gulch, Montana; Wall City, Montana; Powell County, Montana; Gold Creek Mining Company; Pioneer Placer Dredging Company; Gold mining; Mosier dredge; Dredge mining; Gold mines and mining, Equipment and supplies; Dredges, Design and construction
Original Date
11-1988
Time Period
Twentieth century
Geographic Coverage
Montana
Language
eng
Original Collection
Unions and Labor Oral History Collection, Archives and Special Collections, Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula
Digital Publisher
University of Montana-Missoula. Mansfield Library
Rights
Copyright to this collection is held by the interview participants and by the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Library, University of Montana-Missoula. Permission may be required for use. For further information please contact Archives and Special Collections: (406) 243-2053 / library.archives@umontana.edu
Oral History Number
OH 216-001
Media Type
Sound; Text
Original Format
1 sound cassette (60 min.) analog + 1 transcript (30 p.: 28 cm.)
Digital Format
audio/mp3; application/pdf
Run Time
00:56:16 minutes
Local Filename
OH_216_001.mp3; OH_216_001.pdf
Citation
Simons, Vincent "Vince", "Vincent "Vince" Simons Interview, November 1988" (1988). Unions and Labor Oral History Collection. 10.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/mtunionsandlabor_oralhistory/10