We have added a new way to browse and explore claims: by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Administrative Area. To give context to this new feature, we wrote this handy explanation. Summary Nearly a quarter of a billion acres – about one-eighth of the landmass of the USA – is administered by the BLM. These…
While most think of San Francisco or Los Angeles as California’s major cities, back in the days of the Gold Rush, Sacramento was not only the state capitol but a major hub, blossoming with nugget-fueled commerce. The Sacramento History Museum devotes a large portion of their displays to gold rush era Sacramento and its environs. Along with many impressive gold nuggets, visitors can view water canons, assayers scales, and the everyday equipment of miners.
Happy April Fool’s Day! To celebrate, we thought we would discuss the most common trick that is visited on the unseasoned prospector: Fool’s Gold. Fool’s Gold is a sulfide mineral better known as pyrite or iron pyrite. While it is shiny and pale yellow and often found in veins of quartz, that is the extent…
This post is part three of a series about mining in the Angeles National Forest. To learn about the history of the Angeles National Forest and current concerns, read Part 1 and Part 2. Remembering A Golden History, Today While modern mining in the Angeles National Forest may be in a tenuous state, the history of…
Mining claims in the Angeles National Forest are in flux with President Obama’s creation of the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in October of 2014.
The first authenticated discovery of gold in California is in 1842 in Placerita Canyon. Miner’s still seek rich gold veins in the Angeles National Forest.
Last week, we enjoyed taking the Gold Rush City Walking Tour through San Francisco City Guides. The tour is a great opportunity to celebrate the role of the gold rush in San Francisco. After enjoying it, we wanted to take this opportunity to write a bit about San Francisco’s position as a stage for the beginning of the…
While any prospector can testify that gold fever has continued to capture the hearts and minds of ambitious, hard working Americans long past the original fervor of the California gold rush, few have more expressively and poignantly depicted these modern diggers than Sarina Finkelstein in her book The New Forty-Niners. This elegant book features photographs of…
This entry focuses on a part of our earlier discussion, Understanding Location Data. For greater context on what we will be addressing, please read that post first. One of the more confusing aspects of the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) is the concept of “townships.” A “township” can refer to two different things. Both are part of…
New challenges could be in the works for prospectors on Bureau of Land Management claims. Yesterday, February 2, 2015, The BLM posted the Obama Administration’s proposed 2016 budget for the Bureau of Land Management. While the press release highlights conservation and renewable energy priorities, nestled deep in the budget are some unpleasant surprises for miners…
