Kennedy Tailing Wheels
Also known as: Kennedy Mine Tailing Wheels
Why it's listed
Four enormous wooden wheels, each 58 feet across, once carried waste rock from the Kennedy Mine stamp mill near Jackson, California, over two hills to a storage dam about 0.8 mile away. Engineer James Spears designed the system after the company studied a similar setup in Montana. Mine employees built it, and it was finished in early 1914. Gravity flumes fed the tailings to the wheels, which lifted them 176 feet in total, and a multiarch concrete dam held the debris. The system answered farmers' complaints about mining waste washing onto their land and a 1913 legal requirement to control debris, allowing the highest-producing gold mine in Amador County to keep working. Operation stopped in 1942 when the mine closed. Wheels 1 and 4 were restored in 1972, while Wheels 2 and 3 collapsed and remain on the ground. Parts of the flumes, the dam and the remains of a cyanide plant survive. The City of Jackson runs the site as a park.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the wheels were an engineering solution that lifted mine tailings 176 feet over two hills across about 0.8 mile to a containing dam. The system served as a conservation measure that kept mining debris off farmland and complied with 1913 litigation requiring debris control. It let the Kennedy Mine, the highest gold producer in Amador County, keep operating.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 81000146, listed July 7, 1981. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Jackson Gate Rd., Jackson |
|---|---|
| County | Amador County |
| Listed | July 7, 1981 |
| Reference number | 81000146 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1900-1980 (specific date 1914) |
| Architect / builder | James Spears |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Conservation, Engineering |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Operation ended in 1942 when the mine closed. Wheels 1 and 4 were restored in 1972 and are in very good condition. Wheels 2 and 3 have collapsed and lie in ruins but are salvageable. The impounding dam is in good condition. The site is a city park. |
| Acreage | 22.5 |
| Within district | Kennedy Mine Historic District |
| Coordinates | 38.36078, -120.77307 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 81000146.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6389653
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.