Gold in Picture Rocks NW of Tucson?

[Lucky Baldwin]

I found an old map



and this section looked interesting



As near as I can place the "Gold Placers" they're in the Picture Rocks area NW of Tucson. More than likely, those are the Canada del Oro placers and Hartley just put them in the wrong place.

But you never know... Now I have to go dig some holes in the Brawley wash between W Magee and W Orange Grove. Damn you Hartley.

 

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[GreyGhost]

Old post but interesting. My guess is the same as yours. Looks like the north end of the Tucson Mountains. No gold placers there. Shame the CDO placers aren’t even nugget country either. Just dust.

 

[DDancer]

Might be the Silver Bells instead

 

[azdave]

Might be the Silver Bells instead

This is correct. Those historical maps are not at all correct in scale, so what is "appearing" to be close to the NW end of the Tucson Mtn's is actually much further NW, in the Silverbell's. Placer gold was known to be in the area of Rag Top back then, and has been successfully drywashed in the area since then.

To illustrate the scale issue... look at how the "Catalina's" extend further north than Picacho.... and Picacho is shown as west of the Tortolita's.
A final glaring scale issue is Blue Water Sta. to Picacho Sta. (actually only about 16 miles apart) is shown as being further than Picacho to Tucson.

 

[GreyGhost]

There’s gold around Ragged Top but microscopic I’m sure, and deep.