A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry.
In the United States several different types of communities were established by Americans during the frontier period; mining towns, railroad towns, cow towns and farming towns were the primary settlements built. Throughout the continental United States and Alaska, valuable minerals were discovered and mining operations launched. The miners would usually settle a site and make home of tents and shacks,that miners built by hand.
Eventually mining buildings such as smelters or stamp mills would be constructed followed by cabins, stores and saloons. A community would naturally be born with the settling of women and children and existed as long as precious metal could be dug from the area.
Sometimes the geographical location of a mining community or the various American railroads would ensure a community's existence after all the valuable minerals were gone. Many American mining communities became ghost towns though others have become prominent cities. A settlement usually can only be considered a mining community if a mine exists directly at the settlement or within the immediate area and if the population relies on the mine economically. Smelter towns, built for smeltering ore extracted from mines, are considered a type of mining community.
Schwaz
Eisenerz, Styria
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Banovići
Kakanj
Tuzla
Zenica
Glace Bay, Nova Scotia
Dawson City, Yukon
In Germany, a Bergstadt refers to a settlement near mineral deposits vested with town privileges, Bergregal rights and tax exemption, in order to promote the economic development of the mining region. Baden-Württemberg
Freudenstadt
Prinzbach
Bavaria
Auerbach in der Oberpfalz
Pegnitz (town)
Bodenmais
Lam
Fichtelberg (Upper Franconia)
Lower Saxony
Altenau
Bad Grund
Clausthal
Zellerfeld
Lautenthal
Obernkirchen
Sankt Andreasberg
Wildemann
North Rhine-Westphalia
Lüdenscheid
Saxony
Altenberg
Annaberg
Buchholz
Berggießhübel
Bleiberg (near Frankenberg/Sa.) (town no longer exists)
Brand
Ehrenfriedersdorf
Eibenstock
Elterlein
Ernstthal
Freiberg
Geyer
Glashütte (Saxony)
Hohenstein
Johanngeorgenstadt
Lengefeld
Lößnitz
Marienberg, Saxony
Neustädtel
Oberwiesenthal
Oederan
Scheibenberg
Schneeberg
Schwarzenberg/Erzgeb.
Thum
Voigtsberg
Wolkenstein
Zschopau
Zwönitz
Saxony-Anhalt
Eisleben
Sangerhausen
Thuringia
Ilmenau
Ruhla
Suhl
Sondershausen
Kongsberg (formerly)
Røros
Poland
Georgenberg (now Miasteczko Śląskie)
Goldberg, (now Złotoryja)
Groß Salze, (now Wieliczka)
Nikolstadt, (now Mikołajowice)
Salzberg, (now Bochnia)
Wilhelmstal, (now Bolesławów)
Upper Hungarian mining towns
Göllnitz, today Gelnica
Jossau, today Jasov
Nemecká Ľupča, today Partizánska Ľupča
Schmöllnitz, today Smolník
Rosenau, today Rožňava
Ruda, today Rudabánya in Ungarn
Telken, today Telkibánya in Ungarn
Zipser Neudorf, today Spišská Nová Ves
Lower Hungarian mining towns
Dilln, today Banská Belá
Königsberg, today Nová Baňa
Kremnitz, today Kremnica
Libethen, today Ľubietová
Neusohl, today Banská Bystrica
Pukanz, today Pukanec
Schemnitz, today Banská Štiavnica
(Listed under names given when founded or working as a mining town)
Abertham, today Abertamy
Adamstadt, today Adamov
Adamsfreiheit, today Hůrky
Bärringen, today Pernink
Bergreichenstein, today Kašperské Hory
Bergstadt, today Horní Město
Bleistadt, today Oloví
Böhmisch Wiesenthal, today Loučná pod Klínovcem
Eule, today Jílové u Prahy
St. Georgenthal, today Jiretin pod Jedlovou
Goldeck (Mährisch Altstadt), today Staré Město pod Sněžníkem
Goldenstein, today Branná
Gossengrün, today Krajková
Gottesgab, today Boží Dar
Graupen, today Krupka
Hartmanitz, today Hartmanice
Iglau, today Jihlava
St. Joachimsthal, today Jáchymov
Johannesthal, today Janov
St. Katharinaberg, today Hora Svaté Kateriny
Klostergrab, today Hrob
Kupferberg, today Měděnec
Kuttenberg, today Kutná Hora
Lauterbach (Kaiserwald) (town no longer exists)
Mies, today Stříbro
Neustadt a. d. Tafelfichte, today Nové Město pod Smrkem
Plan, today Planá
Platz, today Místo
Platten, today Horní Blatná
Preßnitz (town no longer exists)
Rudolfstadt, today Rudolfov
Schlaggenwald, today Horní Slavkov
Sebastiansberg, today Hora Svatého Šebestiána
Sonnenberg, today Výsluní
Unterreichenstein, today Rejštejn
Wodnian, today Vodňany
Zuckmantel, today Zlaté Hory
In Alaska
Juneau
Skagway
In Arizona
Bisbee
Cerro Colorado
Contention City
Jerome
Klondyke
Ruby
Tombstone
Tumacacori
In California
Calico, San Bernardino Co.
Columbia
In Colorado
Central City
Cripple Creek
Denver
Idaho Springs
Leadville
Victor
In Idaho
Custer
Idaho City
In Iowa
Buxton
Centerville
Coalville
Confidence
Lucas
Everist
Muchakinock
Mystic
Numa
Seymour
What Cheer
In Michigan
Bessemer
Calumet
Houghton
Ironwood
Ishpeming
Negaunee
Wakefield
White Pine
In Minnesota
Aurora
Babbitt
Biwabik
Buhl
Calumet
Chisholm
Coleraine
Crosby
Ely
Gilbert
Hibbing
Hoyt Lakes
Keewatin
Marble
Mountain Iron
Nashwauk
Soudan
In Montana
Butte
Virginia City
In Nevada
Goldfield
Jarbidge
Pioche
Tonopah
Virginia City
In New Mexico
Pinos Altos
Silver City
In South Dakota
Deadwood
In Utah
Dragon
Eureka
Frisco
Park City
Silver Reef
Spring Canyon
In Wisconsin
Hurley
