Old 1880s steam engine near Marty’s Camp

This engine was likely brought in to operate an overhead crane to move boulders or to run a dragline dredge, all to help find gold in the river. It was probably mounted on a sled base, then the steam engine would pull itself through a winch system – possibly all the way from Vallecito! Most ‘steam donkeys’ were striped off the ships in San Francisco Bay and brought to the Sierras to help mine gold. Sharon Coldwell is in back, in overalls.