In 1860 gold was discovered on Oro Fino Creek by a party of prospectors led by Captain E. D. Pierce of California. In 1861 the Salmon River mines were discovered, while a search for a rich central gold deposit was made by prospectors, revealing the Florence diggings.
In 1862 the Salmon River Basin gold mines lying south of the Salmon River, were discovered, and called Warren’s diggings, for their discoverer.
In the same year the Boise Basin mines were discovered by a party led by George Grimes of Oregon City, Oregon, who was killed by Indians in August of that year.
In 1863 prospectors started out from Boise Basin and in that year discovered the important gold quartz mine, Vishnu, near Rocky Bar. Several other discoveries of rich gold quartz mines in that vicinity soon followed, the Ida Elmore being the principal one. The mining camp of Rocky Bar was established and was one of the earliest in the Territory. It soon developed into a town.
- Additional Gold Mine Resources
- California
- Oregon