 An estimated US$2,000,000 in gold was taken from the Crowned King Mine alone; the mines have been closed since the 1950s and for the past half-century tourism has been the only reliable source of income in the area, despite the fact that the unpaved, mountainous access roads are rocky, rough and slow to drive.The first recorded gold claim in Crown King was "Buckeye" and was filed by Rod McKinnon on July 1, 1875.Over the next 40 years, more than 15 mines or claims were made in the area.