lost gold mines in washington state lost gold mines in washington state

Adams. We're here for you! The Mad River also has some gold, and due to its remoteness it likely hasnt been prospected very hard. In 1923, on a visit to Palm Springs, Ellen strikes up a friendship with Zaddie Bunker and her husband Ed. The Gold Map identifies township 33 0310N 0390E as having the eighth highest placer claim density in the state, but this seems to be associated with surface mining of silica minerals, not for gold. Of those abandoned claims, 48,820 are lode and 3,577 are placer. In fact, it wasnt until 1938, that a road from Asotin finally reached the small village. Said to have been locatednear the headwaters of the Lewis River somewhere in the wilderness between Mt. Cornucopia Gold Mines: Sec.on the plane the of Union Vein(hanging wall and foot wall) nd: 1:1200: Baker: Cornucopia: Cornucopia Gold Mines: Section on the Plane of the Union Vein with workings : 1941: 1:1200: Baker: Cornucopia: Cornucopia Gold Mines: Section on the Plane of the Union Vein with workings : 1941: 1:1200: Baker: Cornucopia . The mines of Okanogan County are widespread and very rich. Today, the old fort is gone and the location has become Fort Walla Walla Park located at the western edge ofWalla Walla,Washington. 0000015320 00000 n Most of what was found was placer gold, but lode gold was discovered by a number of lucky panners. In the late 1800s, additional lode mines sprung up throughout the county. Previously Producing Patented Gold Mine for Sale in the USA. 0000128951 00000 n Of those abandoned claims, 48,820 are lode and 3,577 are placer. February 9, 2017. $1.6 Billion Estimated & Inferred Resources including 80,000 tons in Mill Tailings. Bonanza Gulch. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "raregold-20"; The screenshot below uses data from the Washington Gold Map and shows gold-bearing PLSS townships across the state (this view was created with Google My Maps). The above image is a claim map from 1899 and shows claim distribution that is similar to what is revealed by the images from the WMH Washington Gold Map. We are unable to accept cash or check at this time. Washington State can be good for gold panning. Our Washington Gold Maps show there are currently 3,041 active gold claims and 52,397 abandoned gold claims located throughout the state. So if panning will be the sole purpose of your trip, then there are several nearby states more deserving of your attention such as Oregon or Idaho. We do not buy or sell precious metal. 0000015944 00000 n Shes currently based in London and spends her time traveling the world and writing stories about it while working away at her first travel book. kenneth square rexburg; rc plane flaps setup; us presidential advisory board Since mine claims and land availability are constantly changing, its important to research a prospective mine frequently to be assured of its status before setting out. Since 1940, the McCoy Creek area has been nonproductive. Youll be amazed at how crisp the satellite imagery is and how much exploring and planning you can do from the comfort of your home. Pacific County Captain James Scarborough was the first white settler north of the Columbia River and built a frontier cabin in 1843. Skagit County's primary producer of gold is the river with which it shares its name. Of particular interest are Denny Creek up near the ski area, as well as the Tolt River, Raging River, and Miller River. but is richest close to bed-rock. Kinross has invested a further $100m at the mine. East of Kettle Falls 1 mile is the Gold Hill Mine. It's time for the Clinton-Gore Administration to draw a line and end the special favors to mining companies," said Stephen D'Esposito, president of Mineral Policy Center. 0000128854 00000 n The Sanpoil River contains gold from its confluence with the Columbia River up to its headwaters, with most of the mining activity in this area occurs around the town of Republic. Slumach allegedly would never tell the location of his mine to anyone. Local Pickup. The Sultan Basin district is on the western flank of the Cascade Range, North of the town of Sultan. Using the Washington Gold Map, areas with high gold potential can be quickly identified and used as the basis for additional research. 0000125596 00000 n Developed Project with 4 adit tunnels. 0000013002 00000 n Even small platinum particles have been found, but you have to put in the work to find the good spots. 0000037789 00000 n Washington State has quite ideal geographic characteristic for gold . 0000022770 00000 n 0000126031 00000 n Washington Gold Maps. 0000019836 00000 n 955 0 obj <> endobj On a number of occasions, other prospectors would attempt to follow him as he returned to the mine, but the old Spaniard was clever and always eluded them, using a number of tricks including putting the shoes on his mule backwards. The highest concentration of gold rich areas is in the central part of the state, particularly in Kittitas and Snohomish counties. Ghost Towns of Washington seeks out towns, mining sites, and historic sites that once existed or will cease to exist in the near future. Listing viewed 1 times Listing watched by 0 users . 0000129052 00000 n The Agatha Christie Poirot short story "The Lost Mine" features a map revealing the location of a lost mine in Burma. 0000016409 00000 n A huge variety of Copper and Silver minerals covering all imaginable shades of blue and green abound throughout the state, and there is of course the famous rainbow petrified wood from the Petrified Forest National Park region, which . amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; To the east, neighboring township 33 0220N 0180E (19 placer claims, 2 gold mines) ranks fourth. Eastern Washington Gold Mines. There are old placer diggings all throughout the Yakima River through this area. homes for sale in vancouver washington 04-Jun-2022 . Camp land Pan fun 4wd. Township 33 0100N 0080E has 17 active placer claims and 18 USGS gold mine records, tying it for the sixth ranked gold township in the state. Yakima County Pierre Rabados Lost Mine is thought to be located near Mt. Ghost Towns of Washington is the most comprehensive site on the web listing ghost towns and the history ofghost towns, historic mining sites, and other significant points of historic importance in Washington State. Most of the creeks around this area would be worthy of checking out with a gold pan too. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; 40 Acre Placer Gold Mining Claim #20 & #25 Wickenburg AZ Mine. HistoryLink.org Essay 7162. Decent quantities can be recovered from this area in certain areas. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; Yellow circles are gold mines, hexagonal markers are PLSS sections that contain active placer mining claims, and blue markers with pick axes are district locations. The Wenatchee River in particular is a popular spot for panning. So grab a metal detector and a map, and check out these 7 hidden treasures. 14 Lost Treasures of Washington State. The Sanpoil River and many of its tributaries have gold. 25 Rivers in Washington Where You Can Find Gold. amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Bring along a sluice box and see what you can find. Lost Mines and Treasure in Washington State. Photographing and documenting these remnants of our past. History - The Caribou Gold Rush in the colony of British Columbia just to the north of Washington state, was from 1861 - 1866. There are records of Waltz selling or transporting gold which are estimated to total $254,000.. Larry Holzwarth - May 12, 2018. Now these placers are all but forgotten, but you can still turn up some gold along the banks of the river. This was a very rich lode mining area in western Washington. It has enticed countless people to go out in the search for the treasures it holds with some even having died in their quest. 0000128757 00000 n 0000129563 00000 n Around the town of Darrington, including Deer Creek and the area around Gold Mountain have gold. Court strikes down gold mining companies' only two viable defenses OLYMPIA Attorney General Bob Ferguson issued the following statement today after U.S. District Court Judge Rosanna Malouf Peterson issued a summary judgment in Ferguson's federal lawsuit against two gold mining companies over years of water pollution stemming from the Buckhorn Mountain gold mine. 0000016100 00000 n Using a metal detector might be a good way to find some of these gold nuggets. As a former Gold Rush hotspot, Washington has a surplus of old gold mines just waiting to be explored. Before the dams, there were many, many miners that used sluice boxes and rocker boxes to recover find gold from the gravels along the Columbia River. Bloom County Located in the heart of Puget Sound is Vashon Island where a successful lumberman by the name of Lars Hanson lived in the 1870s. There are some very rich placers that can be found in Cle Elum River from its headwaters downstream to where it enters the Yakima River at the town of Cle Elum. ClarkCounty For more than a century, rumors have abounded that there is a rich mine hidden in the Cascade Mountains. The top placer gold producing township in the state of Washington is 33 0200N 0170E (36 placer claims, 34 gold mines). 0000131346 00000 n A good amount of placer mining has taken place around the town of Leavenworth on the Wenatchee River and Icicle Creek and Bridge Creek. 1. Another key step to remember before hitting the trails is consulting the requirements of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 0000133889 00000 n Individual nuggets weighing up to 70 ounces have been unearthed here! Staff and faculty will be prompted to complete a recharge form included in the link above. Ghost Towns of Washington is the most comprehensive site on the web sharing listings of ghost towns, historic mining sites, and other abandoned historic points of . 0000006886 00000 n There was a time when thousands of miners worked the gravel bars up and down the Columbia. Placer gold is probably most prevalent in the creeks and rivers of the Cascade Range, but central and eastern Washington also have some great areas to prospect for gold as well. 0000131568 00000 n A few scattered copper and gold mines can be found all throughout this drainage from its headwaters to where it enters Lake Chelan. 0000044912 00000 n A well-known Marton sporistn:iti ha;in Irish >eiter which has put up ;i liii' roooid in i'tir way of colli'f-i in_fjr money |',)|- ' patl iotie i'ltmU. The former comprise the bench gravels and a part of those lying next to bed-rock; the latter, those gravels on a general level of the present creek beds. The Washington State Gold Rush began in 1873, when gold was discovered at Swauk Creek. Legends of lost mines are probably worldwide. 0000011466 00000 n Wenatchee River, Peshastin Creek, Culver Springs Creek, King Creek, and many other waters around this area are worth prospecting. Learn how and when to remove these template messages, Learn how and when to remove this template message, Three Skeletons, La Plata County, Colorado, http://archives.cbc.ca/science_technology/unexplained/clips/9708/, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_lost_mines&oldid=1126468748, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia articles with style issues from May 2017, Articles needing additional references from May 2017, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 0000015009 00000 n 0000015165 00000 n 0000011158 00000 n Here are 25 rivers in Washington with documented occurrences of placer gold. 0000013463 00000 n The land has been the subject of many a treasure hunter looking to find the lost treasures buried beneath the lands in the fertile lands to the great West. The Summit district in western Yakima County has active placer claims and numerous historical gold mines. 0000017032 00000 n To the west, in the Nighthawk district, township 33 0400N 0250E (4 placer claims, 33 gold mines). The streak of gold mines and prospecting areas in Virginia starts in Fairfax County near Washington, D.C. and trends to the southwest for about 140 miles. If you like stories about old lost gold mines, lost and buried treasures or old ghost towns, you've come to the right place. Gold can be found throughout the river system, but one area that is known to be especially productive is around the town of Sultan. Grant and Willis K. Beech . The 1969 publication Mines and Mineral Deposits of Whatcom County by the Washington Department of Mines and Geology summarizes the early history of the district: Placer mining has been carried on in the district since the late 1870s, but the operations have been small and sporadic. Please click the link in that email to complete your subscription. Controversy is his middle name. Hiking Sumas Mountain - Gold Mine Trail. Wild Man of Wynoochee's Buried Loot. 0000014697 00000 n 0000133682 00000 n Local fishermen are p. As a result of the gold rush in Canada, gold was found in Washington. 0000020303 00000 n The gold mines and prospecting locations parallel Interstate 95 just west of Dumfries and Fredericksburg and continue southwest into Buckingham County, east of Lynchburg. In March 1949, a posse of men claiming to be intimates or kin of Jesse James blew into town with a primitive land mine . amzn_assoc_search_bar = "true"; 0000125392 00000 n 0000019525 00000 n The First Thought mine was a major Gold producer near the town of Or. amzn_assoc_title = "Recommended Gear: "; 0000018435 00000 n The area around Gold Basin is worth exploring. 0000016720 00000 n Buried Treasure Near The old Chevy Chase Inn. 0000130300 00000 n 16. 0000131125 00000 n <<1BDAAF3905A7E74891A6FF801065A23F>]/Prev 244197/XRefStm 6516>> The gold is very fine textured here as well. Arizona is known for several mineral types in addition to the elements Gold (Au), Silver (Ag), and Copper (Cu). Local Pickup. 0000132085 00000 n These placers arent particularly rich, but you can find gold here, and its one of the better options for prospectors in this part of the state. Stevens County The Lost Doukhober Mine, discovered in 1929, is said to be located in the northern part of Stevens County. Many of these are little known and have not had much history recorded about them. 0000125494 00000 n Some of the most active gold mining areas in Washington are found at the extreme northern end of the state, directly adjacent to the Canadian Border. A core feature of these maps is the highlighting of townships that contain both active placer mining claims and historical gold mines. It was thought to have been the old Spaniard who had been killed by the Indians. The ore is silver-bearing galena in the Cambrian Vintage Dolomite. . Our Washington Gold Maps show there are currently 3,041 active gold claims and 52,397 abandoned gold claims located throughout the state. 2020 USATODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, Inc. Gold Panning & Mining in the Cascade Mountains in Beaver Creek Fly-Fishing in Washington County, Maryland, Gold Panning & Mining in the Cascade Mountains in Washington, Fishing at Point Robinson Near Redondo Beach Washington, How to Explore Abandoned Places in Washington, Washington State Department of Natural Resources: Recreational Gold Panning, U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management: Land & Mineral System Reports, How to Find Abandoned Gold Mines in Washington, Privacy Notice/Your California Privacy Rights. 0000126567 00000 n Township 33 0290N 0080E has 18 active placer claims and 5 USGS gold mine records, making it the fifth ranked gold township in the state. In addition it's home to Ruby Creek, a tributary of the Skagit River, which runs through Whatcom County for all of its 3.39 miles. Near the headwaters of the Owen River, the two men found what was some hard igneous rock that had a lot of gold within it. These gold deposits are similar to those found along the Columbia River. Click on a county linkbelowto view a menu of sites listed. Details on these districts are difficult to find, but the numerous USGS gold mine records indicate this is one of the states more important gold regions. This fee will be applied to the student's BARC account. Hidden & Lost Gold / Silver Treasure in MAINE For your Entertainment Purposes Only - No Information has been Verified-----Maine ranks highly as a treasure hunting state with a variety of sites. 0000023947 00000 n 0000009466 00000 n Later the bandits were shot before ever telling of the hiding place of the loot. Many of the tributaries are also gold bearing such as Silver Creek, Fortune Creek, and Big Salmon Creek. or Best Offer. Google Earth is a free download. Also, please note that there is naturally occurring asbestos near the creek, which should be avoided, especially during the summer months. 0000007937 00000 n There are a lot of versions of the story that led to the legend of the Lost Dutch Oven Mine but the most commonly acknowledged legend is that of Tom Schofield. Day Creek is also frequently panned by prospectors in Skagit County. 0000106227 00000 n Evidence of past mining can be seen around Leavenworth and Dryden. mU=8/vWsSfyd2nFU{'r-L?Yzrsa w[rXLwzv`#>8d^ i?=hgtiQ~Kg{[r_#uMM9}JW%[>=;TS6Us!6'2kSziC?_lu%Rp /S7]j2ahn%76q9p;%5:G[zT>|agy\/425~dx-o_Dd }$)f;)?8 0000008396 00000 n 0000009007 00000 n Here are 12 of the richer spots in the state that will give you a good idea of where to start your hunt! 17. Ore from this mine assayed at 1,000 oz of silver per ton. 0000020148 00000 n The town became Liberty in 1916, it is the oldest mining town site in Washington state. It is the most famous of the top 3 lost gold mines of Wild West legend. 0000008090 00000 n In the Oroville district, Township 33 0400N 0260E has 12 active placer claims and 20 USGS gold mine records, making it the eighth ranked gold township in the state. Very fine gold is present. This made it more valuable than the placer gold of neighboring regions. Most of the gold is fine textured, but every once in a while a little picker is also found here. 0000016565 00000 n IAML REPORTS BY NAME . amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; Concentrations of silver in the galena ore were assayed at between 15 and 120 ounces per ton. The Washington Gold Map identifies many areas throughout the state where active placer claims and historical gold mines are present. Copyright Gold Maps Online, LLC | Website by AshWebStudioGoogle Earth is owned by Google, Inc. Gold Maps Online is not affiliated with Google, Inc. Washington Active & Abandoned Gold Mining Claims Map. This websites also uses 'cookies' to give you the most relevant experience while browsing. trailer Washington has lots of places that you can pan for gold. He would blow the wealth on liquor and brothels and eventually return to his cabin on Pitt Lake. Once lost, yet not forgotten, the coal mining town of Franklin, still The registration form, rules, and a list of parks that allow detecting may be found online in the Metal Detecting in Washington State Parks brochure (PDF), or by calling park staff at 360-902-8500 or from the Washington Telecommunications Relay Service at 800-833-6388 . 0000125698 00000 n Of those active claims, 2,744 are lode claims and 297 are placer claims. $15,000 of gold was found under his bed after he died. A mining boom drove the founding of the village in the 1890s . There are people who spend their whole lives and considerable sums of money searching for sunken treasure ships, lost mines, and hidden loot. From 1934 to 1940, the Camp Creek mines produced minor gold from small high-grade deposits that had been discovered in the early 1920s. To the south and southwest, townships 33 0370N 0170E (15 placer claims, 26 gold mines) and 33 0370N 0160E (11 placer claims, 23 gold mines) rank 7th and 9th respectively. amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "raregold-20"; Here's what we know for sure: President Biden has always opposed the Nord Stream pipeline, considering it a direct threat to U.S. energy exports to Europe. Stevens County Located near the town of Colville, a treasure known as The Highgraders Poor Farm treasure is said to be hidden. 2. 0000130722 00000 n The USGS reports The only gold deposits in Kittitas County that have yielded 10,000 ounces or more are those of the Swauk district.. Production before 1903 is unrecorded, but there is an 11-year record from 1884 to 1895 which credited the county with $764,163 worth of gold (37,095 ounces).. 0000020771 00000 n 0000008243 00000 n Zachary Collier/Flickr. Washington Gold Maps Note: None of the Washington images above show just how close you can zoom in to see gold prospecting locations. Katherine is a freelance journalist who has been based off-and-on in Nashville, New York, London and Barcelona for the past four years. 0000012849 00000 n Mon - Sat 9.00 - 18.00 . 1154 0 obj <>stream Researching Mining Claims with the BLM MLRS, Arrastras Illustrated in These Historical Photos, Where To Find Gold: The Top Ten US Counties, Home Sweet Home Miners Cabins of the Frontier West. According to many tales, bandits stole a number of gold bars from a train during a robbery near Wallula in the late 19th century. The Lost Dutchman State Park has several trails, including the 2.4 mile . Also Read: Eastern Washington Gold Mines - The State's Largest Gold Producers . 0000016254 00000 n On the banks of Judd Creek, near Burton, he was said to have hidden more than $200,00 in gold coins. 0000131232 00000 n In the northeast corner of Washington is the Kettle Falls area. 0000131031 00000 n Gold mine numbers cited for each township are the number of USGS records, some of which are duplicates. Home | Site Map | User Agreement | Privacy Policy | Contact, Bureau of Land Management's official website. This is near the famous gold mining town of Liberty, which has produced some huge gold nuggets over the years. There has been a surprising amount of gold mined along the Columbia River over the years. You can also go metal detecting in Washington which can be quite rewarding. 0000030127 00000 n Chelan County was the largest gold producer in the state. With reverence for the past and a taste for adventure, the brothers track legends and clues across the vast American Frontier in . 0000126463 00000 n Even a novice prospector has a pretty good chance of finding placer gold in the rivers of Chelan County. The Slate Creek district is in the eastern part of Whatcom County, in the heart of the Cascade Range. Additional images in this article will contain more data points. The Wild West in America is a vast area and has plenty of the elusive treasures lost to legend. As you climb into the northern Cascades east of Everett is the Monte Cristo mining district. 0000010236 00000 n 0000132279 00000 n During this time, she has written about travel, culture, health, lifestyle and cuisine for the likes of American Profile, Spry Living and Relish and covers entertainment and human interest stories for People magazine. . The Infamous Victor Smith & a Tale of Three Lost Treasures, John Tornow The Wild Man of the Wynoochee, Legends, Ghosts, Myths and Mysteries Main Page, Byways & Historic Trails Great Drives in America, Soldiers and Officers in American History. Other areas are better for hard rock mining, and will require crushing ores to recover the gold. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Snoqualmie River has some gold, as well as many of its tributaries. amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; In 1894, he was a railroad worker that went off on his own during the job to do a bit of prospecting for gold mines. Recent Posts. Since demand has lowered significantly, there is a wealth of old mines littered across the Washington state area that, potentially, offer enthusiasts the opportunity to unearth a rare nugget or two. The Similkameen River that flows into the Okanogan River has also produced a decent amount of gold, including some sizable nuggets over the years. While the methods used here allow for a quick overview of all potential gold areas in the state, they are not perfect. The discoverer died of hunger, thirst, or exposure shortly after discovering the deposit, and his body is found with rich ore specimens in his possession. While two of the three were killed in the ensuing scuffle, the third escaped with the loot. The area's gold production proved lower than that of other counties in Washington State. Next on the list of top 3 lost gold mines of Wild West legend is the Lost Cement Mine. Buckhorn is located just south of the Canadian border, in north-central Washington State, approximately 76km from Kinross's Kettle River gold mining facility. These old channels occupy in a general way the trend of the present valleys but do not always conform to the present winding of these streams., The placer gravels vary in thickness and character and may be divided into two groups, one representing the gravels as they were originally deposited, and the second those that have been worked over by the present streams. 0000131968 00000 n Although they were nowhere near as rich as those in Nome, Alaska or Gold Beach, Oregon, they do still hold some gold hidden in those sands. The mines involved usually contain a high-value commodity such as gold, silver or diamonds. Gold fever is alive in the mountains of Washington state, but the use of new machinery in waterways is causing conflict with activists. 0000132830 00000 n The Entiat River flows from the high country of the Cascade Mountains and some gold can be found all throughout the river. 0000011312 00000 n 0000130512 00000 n As a result of his discovery, over $100,000 in gold was supposed to have been recovered by Rowley and other prospectors.. Although it is the lead, zinc, and silver deposits that have attracted the most attention to the area, the original mineral discovery in the area was the rich placer gold deposits found in the Pend Oreille River. An unusual result here is that the township to the north, 33 0110N 0080E, has 15 active placer claims but no historical gold mine records. 0000035285 00000 n 0000021394 00000 n "yhr story of superstition mountain and the lost dutchmans gold mine" Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence/St. There are very fine deposits of placer gold and also platinum that has been mined from the beach sands. For many years only the oxidized parts of the veins were mined, but in the late 1890s extensive development revealed new and rich ore bodies and for a while the district prospered. By 1900, major strikes had been made in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Alaska, and western Canada. Those listed below are just a sampling. . 0000019057 00000 n About the MRDS Mines Database: All mine locations were obtained from the USGS Mineral Resources Data System. Here is a look at the top 3 lost gold mines of Wild West legend that have enticed explorers and seekers of lost treasures for centuries but have never been found. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; The mining claims in Washington State are all controlled by The Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Primarily a lead mine, for economic reasons Wheatley billed the operation as a lead and silver mine. The second of a series of mines that we explore on a tour of ABANDONED MINES IN AMERICA. A river boomtown stimulated by gold discoveries, the town was once accessible only by horse or by boat. The discoverers were killed by hostile natives. 0000127334 00000 n Similar to the Columbia River, there are some very small amounts of gold in the Cowlitz River. Arizona. Ghost Towns of Washington seeks out towns, mining sites, and historic sites that once existed or will cease to exist in the near future. Fine gold can be found all throughout the Okanogan River from the British Columbia border down to its confluence with the Columbia River. TikTok, cruise ship, Washington, D.C., Washington | 36K views, 1.9K likes, 506 loves, 2.6K comments, 40 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Brian. The most successful prospectors working along the Snake and Columbia Rivers use a Gold Cube or other specialized fine gold recovery tool. startxref The discovery of gold in California in 1848 sent would-be millionaires on a quest for treasure throughout the West. The Agatha Christie Poirot short story "The Lost Mine" features a map revealing the location of a lost mine in Burma. Why Gold Rush's Fred Lewis Thinks Gold Mining Is Like The Military; The Misfit of Demon King Academy anime: Crunchyroll reveals English cast; Washington State lawmakers pass shield law for abortion procedures; Melbourne Cup 'Fairy Floss Girl' compared to Selina Gomez by Kyle Sandilands falls on hard times Every summer for the past decade, Adam Palmer, 39, has spent weeks scouring the mountains near Pitt Lake, B.C., in search of a mythic lost mine known as Slumach's gold. Lost mines are a popular form of lost treasure legend. Swauk Creek holds lots of gold, but most of the big nuggets were actually found in ancient river channels up on the surrounding mountains. 0000126352 00000 n INACTIVE AND ABANDONED MINE LAND (IAML) REPORTS INDEX .