The Granite Creek Gold Rush
Prospectors flock to the Cascades as snow melts, revealing potentially rich deposits across a vast territory.
Reports from the Granite Creek mines indicate that with the arrival of spring, activity is picking up significantly. The country abounds in game, timber, and beach grass, and Granite Creek itself features high gravel banks that provide excellent prospects. Beyond the immediate area, about half a dozen other creeks have yielded gold in paying quantities. The gold belt embraces a strip of country about fifty miles long and from ten to twelve miles wide. While the high ground still holds too much snow for successful prospecting, the low country is clear of frost, leading to expectations of a major rush this season. Mr. Jameson, who recently returned from the region, reports that there are likely about 1,200 white men now in the mines, in addition to a significant number of Chinese miners. Persons going to the mines are advised not to start too early.
“There is sure to be a rush of miners this season, and Mr. Jameson thinks we may expect to hear of some very rich strikes.”
The Granite Creek gold rush of 1886 saw thousands of hopefuls traverse the rugged Cascades near today's North Cascades National Park. While the 'paying quantities' of gold never materialized into a lasting bonanza, the era reflects the persistent colonial drive to extract wealth from public lands, often at the expense of Indigenous territory.
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