Wyoming Mining
Wyoming mine
Discovered
1842
Address
5611 High Plains Road Cheyenne, WY 82007
Contact Number
(307) 777-7777
Gold was discovered at the South Pass-Atlantic City-Sweetwater district in present Fremont County in 1842. The placers were worked intermittently until 1867, when the first important gold vein was discovered, and prospectors and miners rushed to the area.Gold was first discovered in Wyoming streams along the Old Oregon Trail in the headwaters of Wyoming's Sweetwater River in 1842. The threat of Indian attacks kept prospectors at bay until the mid-1860s. Since then, varying amounts of gold have been recovered every year since. Most of Wyoming's placer gold is very fine, especially along the Snake River and its tributaries. Be advised that thin seams of black manganese in granite, such as that found south of Casper, often contain gold and silver. Small flakes are often found in waterways draining areas with existing or historic lode mines.
