In 1878 a C. C. Crary discovered a mine high on a hill in the center of what was later called Junction City. He named it the Grand Junction Mine and it became the source of the name for the city. The name Junction City applies to quite a wide area: the mine itself, up and down Tenderfoot Gulch and clear over to what is now the Junction Ranger Station. It is not known how many investors and how much money was raised to develop the mine that ultimately proved highly unprofitable. The mine closed in 1881, having processed 7,000tons of ore that yielded only $3.59 worth of gold to the ton or barely the total sum of $25,000. There are some ruins of interest at the mine site, which can best be reached from the Junction Ranger Station.