A judge ruled aliens could not hold mining grounds, and a Chinese exodus began in 1889. Horse powered drilling rigs were used toward the end of the century, and gold ore was brought to the surface from the shaft by a hand-operated windlass. Rawhiding was a technique used for transporting supplies into the high snow country. One horse wearing snowshoes would pull a sleigh made of rawhide on which the supplies were lashed. The dredging era began in 1935, recovering almost a million dollars.
Elk City is one of the principal areas for placer mining.
Great banks of gravel 75 to 100 feet high stand up as steep exposures. Today, mining tunnels still open are considered hazards.