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During each mining rush there is typically a transition through progressively higher capital expenditures, larger organizations, and more specialized knowledge. Many also progressed from the high unit value of gold, to a lower unit value mineral such as silver, and then to base metals like copper, lead or zinc. The rush usually started by a discovery of placer gold made by an individual or small group. At first the gold was washed from the sand and gravel by individual miners using a gold pan. Once it was clear that the volume of gold-bearing sediment was larger than a few cubic yards, the placer miners built rockers or sluice boxes. With these a small group of miners could wash gold from the sediment many times faster than using gold pans. So far, recovering the gold required almost no capital investment, only a simple pan or equipment that may be built on the spot. That operation requires only simple organization as well. The low capital investment, along with the high price per unit weight of gold, as well as the ability of gold dust and nuggets to serve as a medium of exchange, allowed placer gold rushes to occur even in remote locations. After the sluice-box stage, placer mining became increasingly larger scale, requiring larger organizations, and higher capital expenditures. Small claims owned and mined by individuals sometimes needed to be merged into larger tracts. Difficult-to-reach placer deposits often were mined by tunnels. Water also was often diverted by dams and canals to placer mine active river beds, or to deliver water needed to wash dry placers. The more advanced techniques of ground sluicing, hydraulic mining, and dredging also were often used. Typically the heyday of a placer gold rush would last only a few years. The free gold supply in stream beds would become depleted somewhat quickly, and the initial phase would be followed by prospecting for veins of lode gold. The veins will always be somewhere around, as the lode gold veins were the original source of the placer gold. The gold rush then quickly changed from placer mining to lode (hard-rock) mining. This happened as the placer miners followed the gold upstream to its source, and discovered vein gold deposits. Hard-rock mining, like placer mining, often evolved from low capital investment and simple technology, to progressively higher capital and technology. The surface outcrop of a gold-bearing vein was usually oxidized, so that the gold occurred as native gold. If so, the ore needed only to be crushed and washed (free milling ore). The first miners would build a simple arrastre to crush their ore. Later, they might build much more expensive stamp mills to crush the ore more quickly. As the miners dug down, they often found that the deeper part of vein contained gold locked in sulfide or telluride minerals. This ore required smelting. If the ore was sufficiently rich, it was worth shipping to a distant smelter (direct shipping ore). Lower-grade ore would require on-site treatment to either recover the gold, or to produce a concentrate sufficiently rich for transporting to the smelter. As the area turned to lower-grade ore, the mining sometimes changed from underground mining to large open-pit mining. This of course required more equipment to handle larger amounts of the lower grade ore. Some gold rushes transitioned into silver rushes. As transportation and infrastructure improved, the focus sometimes changed progressively from gold to silver, and then to base metals. Leadville, Colorado is an example of this. It started as a placer gold discovery, achieved fame as a silver-mining district, then relied on lead and zinc in its later days. Butte, Montana also began mining placer gold, then became a silver-mining district, then became for a time the world’s largest copper producer. If there were not other metals to transition into, the gold rushes ended when the gold played out. The great depression of the 1930’s caused many gold bearing areas which had ceased commercial operations to again become active. They became active again as small individual operations. There was no money to provide factory jobs, as there was no money for the customers to buy the products they would produce. If you mined gold however, you could not keep and own it in those days, as it had to be sold to the U.S. Treasury by law. This was a source for money that could not be denied. Of course, this rush withered away along with the depression. The only gold rush that has lasted, and will continue to last for many years is the Recreational Gold Prospecting Rush. Unlike the early rushes, it started slowly back in the 1960’s, and has steadily grown larger every year since then. And, it will continue to grow for many years to come due to it’s wholesome, outdoor family recreational value, as well as the tremendous value of today’s gold. Three of the five gold rushes that occurred in the USA recorded every location where gold was found, and the quantity produced. I have documented those locations by state and county, or gold district. The GREAT AMERICAN SERIES VOLUMES - All About FINDING GOLD in the USA contains that historical information in Volume I. Volume II and Volume III of that publication will teach you everything that you will need to know to become a successful GOLD PROSPECTOR! as well. 
To make this a complete, and more economical, package for learning the basics for success, I have included all three volumes under the one cover
you see here. This adds some information about the author, as well as a complete Table of Contents to guide you though the entire 56
pages of all the volumes. These will share with you the experience I had the pleasure of gaining over the past 30 years. It will greatly add to your
prospecting pleasure to have some immediate success by finding even a small amount of gold on your first trip out. The small successes quickly
turn into larger successes, and before you know it you're an experienced gold prospector. Along the way you will have the opportunity of helping
others by sharing your experiences with them. This is why I always say "there is no substitute for experience, even if it is someone elses"
. Always conduct your prospecting outings in a manner that is safe for you, and all others around you. "May the bottom of
your pan always be as GOLDEN as your DREAMS !!!!You can buy this three volume set for $39.95
, which is a savings of 25% off of the prices of the three volumes separately.
For Information on A Fabulous Trip Through The Mother Lode Country on California Highway 49 Click Here
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