what do you think?

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
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No, Rich Hill "had" big placer nuggets, it's been hunted to death. The LAD is a legend, never proved
to be factual.
 

Oroblanco

Gold Member
Jan 21, 2005
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A good proposal, but in the wrong direction from where Adams started, plus much of the gold was found on the top of the hill (hence the name Rich Hill) which does not fit with Adams description.

I have to respectfully disagree with our mutual amigo Lastleg, though I am sure many will agree that the lost Adams was a myth, I am firmly convinced the mine and canyon did exist. One good piece of evidence in support of the story being true, is that Adams himself went looking for the mine, not once but several times. A man does not go off into the wilderness hunting a story he made up. Besides, Adams showed the egg-sized nugget to a number of witnesses, which I am sure many are happy to ignore but to me is another piece of solid evidence, for gold nuggets are fairly rare; only 2% of gold in nature occurs in the form of nuggets, they are not simply laying around everywhere for anyone to pick them up.

There are many theories about Adams and his mine, and probably very few would agree with me but it seems to me the simplest explanation is that Adams was telling the truth; (Occam's Razor) and no one has yet found his famous lost bonanza. Had it been found, the gold strike would have been in the news, as happened with a somewhat similar story with Goler's lost gold.

Good luck and good hunting amigos, I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
Oroblanco
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
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657
Legends and myths are two different animals. A myth is totally made up while a legend has a basis of
fact and fancy. Rich Hill is an actual place where the People's party reported finding hen egg sized
nuggets lying about. Like the LAD it was ripe with natives who were extremely hostile to white
invaders. Prospectors from there to Prescott were slaughtered whenever found. So there are similarities
that could be comparable. The LAD has a green valley, the Weaver Mts may have had them as well.
When you drive south from Prescott toward Stanton there is a drop off that might have supported a
short lived waterfall. After that you encounter a lush People's Valley near to the old trail to RH which
is semi-desert.


Oro may be correct with the evidence at his disposal. I do know that big gold deposits have been found
in the Weaver's. One that sticks in my mind was on the cover of a treasure mag/early '80s of a lunker
the size of a honeydew melon found with a Tesoro GB1. I have a problem with the LAD/NM sites having
gold placers of that magnitude. A buddy and I were on the way to Lynx Creek and happened to see the
issue in GPPA with a photo of the "Tongue" nugget of Stanton. We changed plans and camped near
Stanton to join the fun.
 

lastleg

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2008
2,876
657
My theory on searching for lost gold placers is you might as well hunt in places you know hold gold.
 

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