HALFWAY, RICHLAND, BAKER CITY — Take a step back into the golden era when documentary filmmaker John Webb debuts his film “Golden Cornucopia” this weekend with three showings in Baker County.

The documentary includes photos from private collections that have never been shown in public, including scenes from the town of Cornucopia and from the mines, in the Wallowa Mountains above, which produced an estimated $20 million in gold and silver from around 1880 until the mines were closed in 1942 by federal order due to America’s entry into World War II.

The Cornucopia post office was established Dec. 7, 1885, and operated until June 1942.

Over the decades, miners gouged 36 miles of shafts and tunnels into the granitic mountains that tower over the canyon of Pine Creek, where the town was built.

At peak production in the first few decades of the 20th century, the Cornucopia district was the sixth-largest gold-mining operation in the U.S., according to historical accounts, with about 700 men employed at times.

Showtimes

There will be three chances to see “Golden Cornucopia”:

• Friday, Sept. 15, 1 p.m. at the Eagle Valley Grange in Richland.
• Friday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m. at the Halfway Lions Hall.
• Saturday, Sept. 16, 6 p.m. at Baker Heritage Museum in Baker City.

Admission is free, although donations will be accepted.

Additional screenings are planned for 2023 and 2024 for those who can’t attend these events — visit copiafilm.com for information.

The film

The production team includes director Jared Brandon-Flande, co-producer Tom Cook, a historian and author of “Cornucopia: Oregon’s Richest Mine,” Jack Myers of Medical Springs, a local mining enthusiast who has a YouTube video series, “Ham/Homestead,” featuring mines in the area, and history buffs Jerry Ann and Trevor Dunn of Sumpter, who are associate producers.

Production started in June 2022. Webb and his crew collected video footage in and around Cornucopia and recorded interviews with historians and local residents.