A street called Boom - some glimpses of pioneer Klerksdorp

Abstract

Before the discovery of gold, Klerksdorp was a peaceful village depending for its existence mainly on transport riders, hunters and farmers who used it as a centre for trade. Rumours of promising gold deposits in Klerksdorp in 1888 changed the town overnight into a hive of activity. Towards the end of 1890 the survival of the town and the mining industry was threatened by inefficient mining methods and overcapitalization. However, ruin was averted when a new process of gold recovery was discovered and applied.