William G. White is a retired archaeologist with 38 years of experience working for federal and state agencies, and the private sector. Having been raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, his interest in both archaeology and history was kindled by the town’s enchanted history and distinctive cultural diversity. Graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1990 with an M.A. degree in Anthropology, his educational and professional focus was on historical archaeology. White has conducted archaeological and historical research throughout many Western states but primarily in the Great Basin. During a multiyear project, he oversaw the documentation of over 800 abandoned mines in Nevada, as part of the state’s Abandoned Mine Land Program. One of those mines was the Magnolia Mine, a prominent mine that played a significant role in the founding and development of the Ferguson Mining District, as revealed in this book.
Aside from his interest in 19th century mining, White has also authored several articles on the fur trade in the far West and published in Castor Canadensis and the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly. He lives in Salem, Oregon, where he makes cherry and peach wines. He also continues to do parttime work as an archaeological and historical consultant and travels in the greater Southwest, checking off items on his Bucket List. White especially enjoys the “chase” in history’s archival dust and the challenge of myth busting.