Some still thought exploitable placer gold would eventually be found.
There, they found very rich placer gold along most of the nearby streams in August 1861.
Miners first came to Butte in 1864 to mine placer gold.
The placer gold in the streams was exhausted quickly, however, and by 1870 the miners began leaving the region.
Some skeptics claim Thornton did not have a lost source of placer gold.
The rush is started by a discovery of placer gold made by an individual.
Economic deposits of placer gold were discovered in 1901 near Aniak.
Placer gold had just been discovered in the Rockies, and there were rumblings of war here.
Discovery of placer gold in 1906 was quickly followed by lode discoveries.
There was no water in the mine area to use in separating the placer gold.