New Hampshire is a state that has had a history of mining that goes back to colonial days. This includes mining for gold in both placer and lode deposits. Many of us look upon the prospector is some grizzled old buzzard with a donkey and a gold pan searching for gold in some far western desert or up in the peaks of the Rocky Mountains. This couldn't be farther from the truth than it really is in New Hampshire they have been finding Gold since the state was first settled.
Most of the gold is found in New Hampshire comes from the western counties particularly Grafton County in a belt of rocks that extends across the Connecticut River into Vermont. For the most part the rocks in this area are volcanic rocks of one type or another. Rocks of this nature are known to hold gold in fact gold can be found in just about any of the streams you can find in New Hampshire.
A particularly rich area to prospect in the Ammonoosuc Formation found in the western part of the state. Most of this formation is found in Grafton County and apparently is a northern extension of the Bronson Hill Anticlinorium found east of the Connecticut River in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Grafton County is also home of many large pegmatite mining operations that have produced over the years extensive amounts of feldspar,mica and quartz as well as a host of rare mineral species. Many of these mines are world-famous for the rare minerals they have produced. These are found in a belt running from the town of Gilsum northwards. Some of the more famous of these mines are Ruggles mine and the Palermo mine.
An especially interesting area is a metamorphose conglomerate known as the Clough formation. This is The kind of rock that is found in South Africa, known as the Witwatersrand that is the world's largest producer of gold. The gold in this formation occurs as disseminated specks found throughout the formation.
Most of the gold is found in New Hampshire comes from the western counties particularly Grafton County in a belt of rocks that extends across the Connecticut River into Vermont. For the most part the rocks in this area are volcanic rocks of one type or another. Rocks of this nature are known to hold gold in fact gold can be found in just about any of the streams you can find in New Hampshire.
A particularly rich area to prospect in the Ammonoosuc Formation found in the western part of the state. Most of this formation is found in Grafton County and apparently is a northern extension of the Bronson Hill Anticlinorium found east of the Connecticut River in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
Grafton County is also home of many large pegmatite mining operations that have produced over the years extensive amounts of feldspar,mica and quartz as well as a host of rare mineral species. Many of these mines are world-famous for the rare minerals they have produced. These are found in a belt running from the town of Gilsum northwards. Some of the more famous of these mines are Ruggles mine and the Palermo mine.
An especially interesting area is a metamorphose conglomerate known as the Clough formation. This is The kind of rock that is found in South Africa, known as the Witwatersrand that is the world's largest producer of gold. The gold in this formation occurs as disseminated specks found throughout the formation.
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