The gold boom began around 1862 in Arizona, but it was in 1863 that Abraham Peeples, with Mountain Man Pauline Weaver (pictured) as his guide, found gold in the Weaver Mountains about fifteen miles north of the eventual location of Wickenburg. It was this group that, while searching for a lost burro, found "spud sized" gold nuggets on a hill top below present day Yarnell. The site is now known as "Rich Hill" and is the richest known placer mining discovery in the state. The ghost town of Stanton, is located at the base of Rich Hill. In 1976, Stanton, was purchased by the Lost Dutchman Mining Association for recreational purposes, where their members enjoy camping, hiking, and prospecting. Several of the old buildings have also been restored. There are several non-patented mining claims for sale in the Stanton/Octave/Weaver area.
It was also in 1863 that the German immigrant, Henry Wickenburg, while prospecting for gold in the area of the Hassayampa River, filed a claim for the Vulture Mine, which went on to become the most productive gold mine in the history of Arizona.
As can be seen by the examples above, the Wickenburg area has a history of prolific gold discovery. There are several mining claims available for sale, but before you buy, there are some informed decisions that will need to be made.
- Patented vs non-patented: The short version is that with a patented mining claim you own the land and the mineral rights. With a non-patented claim you lease the land (generally from the Bureau of Land Management) and own the mineral rights as long as you meet the specific requirements.
- Lode claims vs Placer Claims: Lode claims include classic veins or lodes having well-defined boundaries. The ore is imbeded into the rock and needs to be mined, and crushed to be extracted. Lode claims are limited in size to a maximum of 1500 feet in length along the vein, or lode, which explains why there may be several claims on one parcel of land. Placer claims are loose nugget deposits; deposits of unconsolidated materials such as sand and gravel, containing free gold or other materials. The maximum size of a placer claim is 20 acres per locator.
- Tunnel sites: This is a site where a tunnel is needed to develop and/or discover a vein or lode.
On a non-patented site, building a structure for any other purpose than mining is illegal. All buildings, equipment, or any man made changes must be applicable to mining. You can camp on a non-patented site as long as a legitimate mining operation is in progress.
There is an approximate $150 annual fee due to the BLM for assesments on a mining claim. If you own less than 10 claims, actual labor can be performed to meet the assesment requirement.
Property taxes are due on both patented and non-patented claims.
As with any real estate transaction, owning a gold mining claim can be a fairly involved process but can also be very rewarding as long as you follow the rules. You must do your homework. Know the requirements and the regulations, and be an informed buyer. There is not enough room on this site to cover everything you need to know, but you can go to the State of Arizona Department of Mines and Mineral Resources site and the Bureau of Land Management site for more documentation and education.
For me, I wish you all pots of gold at the end of every rainbow, and riches beyond belief with the purchase of every claim, but--if that were always the end result--we'd be swimming in gold nuggets so they wouldn't have any value. Life is a gamble, and mining claims are not an exception to the rule. Buy it if you can afford the gamble, don't if you can't. For those of you who can--yeehaww, let's go--there's gold in them thar' hills!!!