The data below represent everything available in the MBMG Abandoned and Inactive Mines (AIM) database.

Sites Table
AIM Id Name Alternate Name District County
GR003159 BREWSTER CREEK ROCK CREEK/ALPS GRANITE
MRDS AMLI MILS Latitude Longitude Datum
D006871 300390164 46.6081 -113.5806
Township Range Section QSection UTM Northing UTM Easting UTM Zone UTM Datum
10N 16W 23 C 5164626 302379 12
Average Elevation Elev Units Land Owner 250K Quad 100K Quad 24K Quad
4400 F BUTTE MISSOULA EAST SPINK POINT
Property Type Update Date Who Updated
PLACER 10/11/2000 CBM
Commodities Table
Commodities Identified
GOLD
Agency Info Table
Information
Agency: NF
Region District: R1
Ranger District: MISSOULA
Forest Service Tract:
Watershed Code: 17010202
Forest or Resource Area: LOLO
Owner: N
Impact: U
Report: From the Montana Department of Environmental Quality historical narratives: In 1895 rumors circulated of a carload of ore that was reported to have assayed with unprecedented amounts of gold. The rumors touched off a gold rush to Brewster Creek on the lower end of Rock Creek, a tributary of the Clark Fork of the Columbia. At the height of the rush 2,000 people scrambled for riches in and along the creek and the town of Quigley was founded at the mouth of the creek. Grover Cleveland, then President of the United States, and other prominent investors also listened to the rumors and threw 1.5 million dollars into capitalized development in the district. This investment resulted in the development of three mines, erection of a stamp mill and the grading of a 12 mile railroad bed up Rock Creek. A 7.5 mile aqueduct was excavated to provide Rock Creek water to the mill at Quigley. The railroad bed was built with Chinese labor and was to connect Quigley with the Northern Pacific. However, all the development and related activity was based upon a wild rumor; in reality, the mines contained little or no gold. In 1896, one year later, town and mines were abandoned while the railroad bed and aqueduct were left in a partially constructed condition (Keyser et al. 1974).
Screening Criteria Table
Information
Mill Tailings: N
Adit Discharge: N
Metal Leaching: N
Water Erosion: N
Residence: N
Hazardous Materials: N
Open Adit: N
Visit: Y
Comments: VISITED GENERAL AREA. LITTLE PLACER MINING ACTIVITY.
Placer Table
Information
Gold: Y
Silver:
Titanium:
Rare Earth Elements:
Sapphire:
Garnet:
Tungsten:
Platinum:
Magnetite:
Hematite:
Pyrite:
Commodity Ref: Lyden, C.J., 1948, The Gold Placers of Montana, MBMG Memoir 26, 152 p.
Geologic Source: Vein
Geologic Source Ref: Lyden, C.J., 1948, The Gold Placers of Montana, MBMG Memoir 26, 152 p.
Lag:
Transported: Y
Type Comments: Alps Mining District may be source
Type Ref: Lyden, C.J., 1948, The Gold Placers of Montana, MBMG Memoir 26, 152 p.
Unknown:
Fine:
Coarse:
Comments:
Size Ref:
Finess:
Fineref:
Spoil pile:
Wash pile:
Wash over:
Wash under:
Waste Ref:
Year Discovered:

End of report. Retrieved 5/2/2024 7:12:26 AM.

The preceding materials represent the contents of the databases at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology at the time and date of the retrieval. The information is considered unpublished and is subject to correction and review on a daily basis. The Bureau warrants the accurate transmission of the data to the original end user at the time and date of the retrieval. Retransmission of the data to other users is discouraged and the Bureau claims no responsibility if the material is retransmitted. There may be data in the request area that are not recorded at the Bureau.