Panning for Gold Has Changed , but Pioneer Mining Supplies in Auburn Remains Timeless
Three generations teach gold mining
STORY AND PHOTOS BY Steve Martarano
Frank Sullivan of Pioneer Mining Supplies has been at the High Street store in Auburn for 14 years . He opened his first store there in 1981 .
The recreational gold mining industry has undergone major changes in the decades Frank Sullivan has operated Pioneer Mining Supplies in Auburn . Sullivan ’ s 30-yearold invention , however , the Blue Bowl Concentrator , is still a hot seller all over the world .
“ I ’ ve sold about 30,000 of them over the past 30 years ; it ’ s supported me for most of my life ,” says Sullivan , 77 , who opened his first location of the prospector supply store in Auburn in 1981 . “ I have quite a few dealers selling these online . They ’ re everywhere , all over eBay .”
Sullivan ’ s mining legacy is as rich as Auburn ’ s , and is reflected in his timeless shop on High Street . His father was a gold miner , and Sullivan , who grew up in Grass Valley and North Sacramento , graduated from Sacramento ’ s Encina High School already interested in the mining life . Sullivan says he worked for more than 30 years for the Motherlode Dive Shop in Sacramento , which sold scuba gear and mining supplies , before he opened his own shop .
“ I ' ve always been interested in mining ,” Sullivan says during a recent
24 comstocksmag . com | August 2022