Divulging areas you'll never get to, but are aware of or heard about.

People came from all walks of life, from sailors, to farmers, veterans, carpenters, blacksmith, college graduates, lawyers, doctors, teamsters, packers, drayers, ect. ect.
Many of these people tried a hand a mining before applying their trade. Some longer than others. Some came with $1000 and a hundred head of cattle. Others came with $100 and the coat on their shoulders. In my opinion, it was not the escape of poverty that attracted most people, it was the adventure and the promise of opportunity.

As mentioned earlier - biographies and diaries are a great place to obtain information regarding the nature of the gold rush.
 

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I think those that trekked out and found gold in various places, such as the Yukon, Nome or in the middle of the Australian desert - were the Explorers and adventurers. The vast majority (I assume) spent time working these endless bars and low grade deposits, often as employees. Nothing adventorous about it and I cant imagine neither doctors nor lawyers settled doing this, or anyone that had a choice.

I also think a certain category of miners wrote the diaries, while the "less educated" working class didn't. It's like using Twitter to document what the majority of people 2016 thinks, drawing conclusions such as...that nobody will ever vote for Trump.
 

HappySwede said:
I think those that trekked out and found gold in various places, such as the Yukon, Nome or in the middle of the Australian desert - were the Explorers and adventurers. The vast majority (I assume) spent time working these endless bars and low grade deposits, often as employees. Nothing adventorous about it and I cant imagine neither doctors nor lawyers settled doing this, or anyone that had a choice.

I also think a certain category of miners wrote the diaries, while the "less educated" working class didn't. It's like using Twitter to document what the majority of people 2016 thinks, drawing conclusions such as...that nobody will ever vote for Trump.
Click to expand...

Sure, but we can only form opinion based upon the written record. Each has their own agenda...some of the quotes I provided earlier were probably intended to solicit outside help in getting supplies over the snow passes, and to discourage mass immigration (which contributed immensely to the shortage of supplies).

Here is another excerpt from a letter dated Jan. 1853..

I have but little of importance to write you, except the distress of the land. The number of overland emigrants who came to Oregon last season are put down in round numbers at 10,000, which I think nearly correct, for an account was kept of all who came down the river in boats, and of those who came over the mountains. Among this number were a great many families, who now cannot get their living except by actual begging. Sir, you have not the most distant idea of the suffering among immigrants. You never saw a single instance in the old North State to compare with it, nor do I suppose you ever saw worse in the northern cities. The beggars here are those who left good homes in the western States [i.e., the Midwest] less than a year ago, where they never knew what it was to want. And those who came out here were not the poorest people of the western States, because it requires an amount of money to get an outfit, which all cannot command. . . .
 

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Here are a couple interesting bio's. realting to lawyers actually mining...

You have to assume these don't represent the majority, but it illustrates the fact that the people that came over to mine, were not all poor/uneducated people. Quite the opposite, I think there was a very good cross section of America. Some skilled and some unskilled. Some educated, some could not letter their name.

J. S. Beard is a native of Northumberland county, Pennsylvania, and the eldest son of a family of five sons and three daughters. His father, James Beard, was born in Clark county, Ohio, and his mother, --Susan M. Gehrig,--in Berks county, Pennsylvania. His boyhood days were passed amid the scenes and busy life of the beautiful valley of the Susquehanna. He received the education afforded by the common schools and private academies of that locality. In 1853 he became a member of a corps of civil engineers, and for about two years was employed, under Hon. Kimber Clever, on the survey and construction of the Shamokin Valley railroad. He quit this employment to accept a deputyship under his father, who then held the office of prothonotary of Northumberland county. During the time he was employed in this office he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in April, 1857. For a short time he practiced law in his native county and adjoining districts, then bade adieu to kindred, friends, and home, and started westward. Once on the wing, he did not find a permanent resting place until the shores of the Pacific were reached. He arrived in California in 1859, and, being then young, hopeful and ambitious at once sought the fortune which he supposed awaited him. Failing to secure a satisfactory business in the practice of law, he shelved his books and went to work as "an honest miner." After much tramping, toil, and disappointment, he abandoned mining for other pursuits.


This gentleman is the son of Orlo Steele, and was born near Albany, New York, November 13, 1817. When he was three years of age the family moved to Oswego, in the same State, where Elijah was educated. He read law in the office of Grant & Allen, the latter gentleman being Judge of the Court of Appeals. At the July term, 1840, he was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of New York, and then went to Wisconsin, landing in Kenosha (then Southport) on the fifth of October. That fall he was admitted to the Circuit Court of Wisconsin and Illinois, and in 1841 to the Supreme Court of Wisconsin. He practiced law there until April, 1850, during which time he was a member of the first constitutional convention of Wisconsin. In 1849 he was elected to the State Senate, but before his term expired he left for California for his health, intending to stay one year. He landed in Sacramento fro across the plains October 5, 1850, just ten years after his entry into Wisconsin. He went at once to Shasta and commenced mining at Middletown. He soon went below again for medical aid. He fell in with some of the Scott river prospectors, and went to Shasta to winter. In January, he started with others for Scott river. The trip was tedious and the estimated distance from Shasta to Shasta Butte was one hundred and ninety miles. He worked for a few days at Scott Bar, and then came to Yreka when news was received of the discovery here, and took up a claim north of Rich gulch. It was a poor one, and he met with Robert Atherton, Stephen Watson and others to the number of twelve, and took up a claim on Greenhorn. With James McCummins and Barny Simmons, he went prospecting about Shasta Butte and lay camped back of Sheep Rock two nights in a terrific snow-storm, which date he places at the twenty-first and twenty-second of March, 1851. In the fall of 1851 Steele joined with Sloan, Briggs and Tiernan, and started an express from Scott Bar via Yreka to Sacramento. They took up a land claim two miles this side of Fort Jones, and established a trading-post with Tiernan in charge, and another at Scott Bar with Sloan in charge. Steele road (sic) the express. On one of his trips he was taken sick in Sacramento, and it was reported that he was dead. Early in the winter his partners closed up the business and departed. Steele met Briggs at Trinity Center with part of the mules . He took from them his own mules and took possession of the ranch near Fort Jones. He was joined by Lucius Fairchild, from Wisconsin. He practiced a little in his profession, and for defending a man charged with murder he received four head of beef cattle, worth $500. With these Steele & Fairchild started a butchering business. Fairchild took charge of the market at Scott Bar and Steele stayed at the ranch. They continued together till 1855, when Fairchild returned home, became Secretary of State, Governor of Wisconsin three terms, General in the army, Consul to Liverpool, and Minister to Spain. Steele formed a law partnership with A. M. Rosborough and J. Berry. In 1856 he sold the ranch and invested in mortgages on Scott River ditch and lost it all. He then went to Yreka to practice his profession. He associated himself with John D. Cosby from 1857 to 1859, and afterwards partner of F. E. Ensign, and then practiced alone. In 1867 he was chosen Superior Judge of Siskiyou county. He has always taken an interest in the promotion of agriculture, and has imported considerable blooded horses, cattle and fowls, and in 1866 was one of the founders and for several years President of the Siskiyou County Agricultural Society. In 1843 Mr. Steele married Miss Lucia A. Hart, of Oswego, New York, by whom he had four children, two of whom lived to manhood. Edwin, the eldest, died in 1878, at Lakeview, Oregon. William is now mining at Silver Reef, Utah. Their mother died in 1853, at Oswego. In 1857 he marred Louisa P. Hamblin, at Yreka, who died in January, 1866. He afterwards married Louisa E. Lanze, at Yreka, by whom he has three boys, Hubert Elijah, Alden John, and Orlo.
 

IMAUDIGGER said:
People came from all walks of life, from sailors, to farmers, veterans, carpenters, blacksmith, college graduates, lawyers, doctors, teamsters, packers, drayers, ect. ect.
Many of these people tried a hand a mining before applying their trade. Some longer than others. Some came with $1000 and a hundred head of cattle. Others came with $100 and the coat on their shoulders. In my opinion, it was not the escape of poverty that attracted most people, it was the adventure and the promise of opportunity.

As mentioned earlier - biographies and diaries are a great place to obtain information regarding the nature of the gold rush.
Click to expand...

One thing to remember - you couldn't just thumb your way to the gold fields. There wasn't any cardboard signs to rely upon.
You had to be determined, industrious, and have some personal wealth (or wealthy parents).

I read where a guy from Germany spent $850 getting here. Keep in mind the average unskilled monthly wage was probably $10 per month (7 years of wages). Took him 105 days. He mined for a year and went home with $5,500. The other alternative was to become an indentured sailor. It may take several years on the ocean in order to pay your way.
Many Portuguese went this route and were world travelers.

Then there was the overland method. It is said to have cost $750 to $1500 to travel overland west and establish a farm or ranch.
This was not something uneducated/poor people could afford to do. The alternative was to work your way across by becoming a teamster.

The result was that many of the miners had previously already been successful and had accumulated personal wealth. If they could not make a go of it mining, they had it in their character to succeed when starting from scratch.
 

IMAUDIGGER said:
I read where a guy from Germany spent $850 getting here. Keep in mind the average unskilled monthly wage was probably $10 per month (7 years of wages). Took him 105 days. He mined for a year and went home with $5,500.
Click to expand...

Funny. I spend about $5500 each year on mining and I come home with gold worth some 850$.
 

Goldwasher said:
Screw that
Click to expand...

Not really, best spent money ever. Lots of memories. Friends. Excitment.

Used to spend money on normal beach vacations before that like everyone else. Dont remember anything from them, all alike.

Wouldnt mind finding more thought.
 

O.K. Folks, Heres a Merry Christmas divulge of resources. Go to this gov website, type in Gold in the search box, up comes 31,423 articles with a MAP on the right to boot, as you scroll
over the articles the marker on the map turns red for the location, pretty cool indeed. Enjoy!

https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/

johnnysau
 

johnnysau said:
O.K. Folks, Heres a Merry Christmas divulge of resources. Go to this gov website, type in Gold in the search box, up comes 31,423 articles with a MAP on the right to boot, as you scroll
over the articles the marker on the map turns red for the location, pretty cool indeed. Enjoy!

https://www.sciencebase.gov/catalog/

johnnysau
Click to expand...

Good stuff! I tried ‘Colorado gold’ and got a more manageable and relevant list for me :)
 

KevinInColorado said:
Good stuff! I tried ‘Colorado gold’ and got a more manageable and relevant list for me :)
Click to expand...

I found that you can refine it even further if you add the county.:icon_thumleft:
 

Oddjob said:
Got some great spots in Europe I used to hit, Luxembourg, Romania, Austria, Sweden, Norway.....

Well I say great, they where great in my opinion using a 4 inch Keene, it was only a hobby that I got to play with about 2 weeks full time out of the year and then a couple days here and there when I was in the area and knew I would have some down time. But I could manage about 9 ounces a week out of Lux, 17 a week out of Romania, 6 out of Austria, 11 out of Sweden and 14 out of Norway.
Click to expand...

I would love to pick your "Oldtimer" brain about Luxembourg...I am going to be over here for decades. ANYTHING you want to share I would love and if you are still curious about a spot I can go and check it. Please just don't send me some place I would get in trouble or fall into a cave for the next 50 years...lol Pm too please
 

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i wont divulge places i think ive cleaned out, let alone anywhere else.
 

I did NOT READ all the posts but I will chime in for those who might be interested in Oregon. There is a book ( I have it somewhere but forgot where) Titled "Gold In Oregon". It is a complete history of all the places gold has been discovered. It even tells how much (in $) was taken and how long the mine/digging produced gold. That said; many of the locations are extremely remote and I really doubt if anyone has gone back and tested the creeks/immediate drainages adjacent to the diggings for placer gold. Granted the old timers probably did some "look see" but they did not have the advanced equipment we have today. Unfortunately Oregon has banned the use of motorized mining anywhere they identify salmon habitat. But the disclosed areas stated in the book make one really want to "boots on the ground" if the area is open

Bejay
 

Just to add to my previous comment I will share one of my experiences. A drainage I had often sampled over the years never produced any color.....yet I had discovered an outcropping up on an adjacent mountain that was extremely mineralized and showed signs of being gold bearing. Some very old maps had shown a lode mine up on the mtn so I kept messing around in the drainage.....sampling with my pan. Sampling with the pan produced zilch. One day I decided...what the heck.....I am going to go set up a dredge and spend some time in a spot that looked too good to pass up. Low and behold some rich pockets of placer gold existed in some of the bedrock pockets. Not every good pocket held the gold (nuggets and pickers....no fines at all) but now and then I would really hit a good spot. Not one placer claim had ever been placed on the drainage....zilch. But the discovery of the outcropping and the historic map showing an old lode mine kept me exploring. Having my geology background really helped me to understand what had happened in the creek and proved that sometimes the heavy gold can hold in certain bedrock pockets when a drainage "gulches itself" (usually as a result of a major uplift or the break in a ancient dam.

Bejay
 

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This might be a good spot to Detect. I use to quail hunt this area a lot, about 7 years ago i asked my friend if i could use his metal detector to see what was there. I remember finding something with a hotel name on it but cant remember the name, i did not keep that piece. I did find a gold plated lip stick cylinder from Holly wood,ca and nuts and bolts silver ware, a piece of a plate with a pitcher of Howdy Doody on it. I also could see areas that looked like ppl camped next to each other not sure but each little area had all kinds of different broken pretty porcelain plates and nick knacks. Where ever i swung the detector it would beep. Any way here are the concordance i got off "Land Matters" X:- 117.4575 Y: 34.3253 Longitude and Latitude Good luck and if i could tag along with someone interested in this place that would be cool.
 

I myself would not give out locations over the net. to many trols prowling and looking for anywhere they can (what ever they do ) on someone elses back! BUT if I knew that person looking for a location to go (years back when I could do this sort of thing) and knew of theyre charactor (honesty) then I'd take them out
 

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