Sweetwater Mine & Clyde

10/29/2026

Clyde and his 2h-RD-6 Caterpillar, which had a 2-cylinder vertical gasoline engine for starting it. We referred to that smaller engine as a "Pony Motor" and as it was known to kickback on the handle starter, so you had to be cautious when cranking it. This is an early model (WWII era) before they went to hydraulics. It has the LeTourneau cable control unit.
We were moving logs around on this early afternoon to run logs through the sawmill.
September 23-24, 1989.

10/25/2026

These were the three last dogs that Clyde had, took this picture in Sept. of 1993.
On the far right was Nugget, in the middle was Spike, anyone remember a previous dog that was probably the one on the left?

07/09/2026

Clyde tying together some fuse by Candlelight in the small Bear Hole, getting ready to set off some dynamite. Tap 'er Lightly!
Sept. 1990.

06/15/2026

A letter from Clyde, after he had left the Sweetwater Mine and moved to the Veterans Home in Yountville.

06/11/2026

Sweetwater Clyde and Mike Mulrane operate the 1903 Joshua-Hendy Machine Works single stamp mill during 1991. According to Clyde, when this stamp mill was purchased, it cost 4 ounces of gold. Unfortunately the ore that we ran through the mill didn't have any gold in it.
This video is around 12 minutes long, I hope you enjoy it.

Clyde Foster and Mike Mulrane (yellow Helmet) are seen here at the ...

06/03/2026

Photo compliments of Ashly Eppley "a picture of Mike Mulrane, our Dad David Eppley and Richard Earl with Clyde."
Clyde appearing to show David how the surveying scope was used to measure land, angles, and distances before the advent of modern GPS and digital total stations.

06/02/2026

One thing I really enjoyed during my time with Clyde and the Sweetwater Mine was meeting a number of the miners that worked with Clyde. While this picture was an early selfie using a tripod and timer, I took this during one of my visits to the King Solomon Mine operated by Dave Eppley (Center), and at this time he was in the process of building a home on the hilltop. I recall he had a company drill for water and had gone very deep but had yet to hit water, don't know if he ever did. On the right was Mike Mulrane who also worked with Clyde regularly, and had his own claim down below Eppley's, Rest in Peace both Dave and Mike.
June 1991

05/14/2026

Mike Mulrane (RIP), his dog Doc, and Clyde, kicking back on the porch, enjoying a couple Miller Drafts. Mike helped Clyde out on and off over the years, this photo was taken sometime in 1989. Anyone remember him? Sadly he passed away sitting in his chair on his property (as I recall he had a trailer) near Midpines in the 1990's.

04/30/2026

Remembering Clyde today on what would be his 115th birthday, born April 30, 1911. For his 80th Birthday, we were joined by his brother Ray, and niece Gracie and her husband Pete, and Bob Metzler. Fortunately our custom cake made in the Bay Area survived nearly intact on the road up to the mine. No dynamite candles were used on this cake, but others did see it.

04/02/2026

The Sweet Peas out front of the cabin, really grew wild. There were a few times when we left a hole in the middle of them, usually after a few drinks later at night, and a month later, you couldn't even tell there was ever a hole there. The US Forest Service tried to eradicate them during the clean up a couple of years ago, but to no avail. Clyde would burn down the dried up plants every fall, and every spring they would come back, prettier than ever.
Picture from the 4th of July weekend, 1990. Did you ever experience one of these instant clearings?