Gold Rush Near Chewelah: 50 Claims Staked After Rich Strike
A gold-bearing ledge assaying over $1,100 per ton sparks a rush of claim locators east of Chewelah, Washington.
The Sunshine Mining Co., while developing its property four miles east of Chewelah, struck a gold bearing ledge about eight feet wide. One of the officers of the company states that an average sample gave returns of $1116.28 in gold and $5.42 in copper and silver. The assay returns were not given out until this week. After they became known a rush was made to locate claims in the vicinity of the strike. More than 50 claims were located.
“After they became known a rush was made to locate claims in the vicinity of the strike. More than 50 claims were located.”
Mineral rushes like this one shaped the settlement and economy of the Inland Northwest, often at the expense of Indigenous lands and with boom-and-bust consequences. Today, mining remains a part of the region's identity, though often with stricter environmental regulations and a focus on reclamation.
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