Gold and Gold Prospecting in New England
New England has never been a major mining region, and precious metals, including gold and silver, are particularly uncommon here. This suited the early Puritan settlers and their descendants just fine, as they put more stock in useful metals like copper, iron, and lead than in gold and silver. "A gold mine would have been a curse to the latest generation," wrote John Hayward in his New England Gazetteer in 1839.
Nevertheless (human nature being what it is), people have searched for precious metals in New England and a few small gold deposits, usually placer deposits, have been found, although none were specifically described in Hayward's Gazetteer. These deposits are known from the localities below.
Gold Deposits in Maine
- The Swift River near Byron, Maine has yielded gold for recreational prospectors
- A coastal construction project near Ogunquit (formerly Wells), Maine once turned up small amounts of gold, but it was covered over by a parking lot
- Streams near the mountains of Rangely, Maine have produced gold in modern times
- Gold has been found in the areas north and east of Rumford, Maine
Gold Deposits in New Hampshire
- Baker River in Warren, New Hampshire has produced gold
- Gold has been found in the Wild Ammonoosuc River near Swiftwater, New Hampshire
Gold Deposits in Vermont
- Raymond Hill and Freetop Hill in Bridgewater, Vermont have produced gold
- The West River near Newfane, Vermont yielded the largest gold nugget (6.5 ounces) ever found in New England
- Buffalo Brook in Plymouth, Vermont experienced a small gold rush in the 1800s at a place called the Fox Mine
- Some gold has been found in Somerset, Vermont
- Hull's Brook (now called Gold Brook) in Stowe, Vermont has yielded small amounts of gold
Gold Deposits in Connecticut
- Leadmine Brook in Harwinton, Connecticut has produced gold
- Gold has been found in several streams in Litchfield County, Connecticut
