Arkansas Gold, beyond myth and legends

[Jason777]

There are a lot of stories about gold in Arkansas. Truth is, nobody finds anything except small flakes.

Geologically, Arkansas simply isn't suited for any profitable amounts of gold. The state is known for the purest silica quartz crystals on the planet. Well, that is dreadful news to any prospector since it is these very silica fluids that carry gold.

Fortunately, the Ouachita mountains are at the edge of the North American craton, they were pushed upward by the South American plate.Prospectors have been looking in the wrong location. It is only at the contact where the South American plate subducts underneath the Craton that there will be a cross section of the Craton exposed that was deep enough to carry lots of gold bearing silica fluids.

This really isn't relying on old treasure stories passed down from generation to generation, it's just plain old geologic fact that corroborates a few of them. The Caddo Indians wore gold and the guides that showed the early miners where they got it from, took them to the Caddo gap, Black Springs, Norman area. This is the area where the fault line is at.

 

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[crumbaker]

Interesting, so have you done any testing? Is this even accessible?

 

[Helipilot]

Living in Arkansas I have had a chance to do a fair amount of prospecting as Quartz is usually found with gold. Found a small amount of placer in SW of the state on a small river that flows from the western pari to the south east. Not enough to brag about but interesting none the less.

Arkansas has a large number of unique minerals, metals and rocks due to the plate tectonics and volcanic activity.

Not a lot of other treasure due to the people who settled were not wealthy. Some CW stuff as several skirmishes were fought here. Helena and Pea Ridge are probably the most famous. Have found a lot of artifacts from the early migration into the state. A lot of Caddo mounds as well.

 

[Jason777]

There are three zinc mines along the fault line just south of Caddo Gap and all three are reporting gold as a tertiary mineral.

If mining companies are finding it without even looking for it, then there is likely some rich veins there waiting to be found.

 

[Jason777]

Here's a link to the most comprehensive gold mining history in the state. It even includes coordinates to some of the mines.

The Great Arkansas Gold and Mineral Rush (Revised 2010)

 

[reptwar1]

The only gold I've found in Arkansas has been flour gold in the Arkansas river and likely came from Colorado. In the Caddo River in Norman I did however find chunks of very mineralized quartz and black manganese stained quartz. I am looking for gold and silver every day that I'm off work, and my efforts have only resulted in flour gold and a small nugget of silver that I found cemented in bedrock north of Dover