The Golden Age Placer
(Placer)
(60 acres)
Madison County, Montana
​$67,000
Now Available!

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​​​•Primary Commodities: Gold 
• Claim designation: Un-Patented Placer
​• Size: 60 Acres
• Location: Madison County, Montana

• Financing is available with a down payment of $4800.00 and monthly payments of $315.00​

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Golden Age Mine- Rochester Mining District
The Golden Age Mine, historically known as the Rochester Creek Placer, is a documented mineral property situated in the renowned Rochester Mining District of central Montana. This site features over 4,000 feet of gold-bearing creek bed, a rare spring-fed water source with seasonal flow, and the remnants of a mid-20th-century mining settlement. Gold values on the site have been recorded at up to 2 grams per cubic yard.


Historical Backround
The Rochester (also referred to as Rabbit) Mining District was established in the 1860s following the discovery of rich, oxidized gold outcroppings on Watseca Hill, located on the southern slopes of the Highland Mountains, northwest of Twin Bridges. By 1869, the area was home to approximately 800 miners residing in tents and log cabins. The Watseca Lode, one of the district’s most productive veins, was discovered during this initial rush.
Federal mining records indicate sporadic placer gold production from the late 1800s through 1940, although efforts were often limited by insufficient water supply. While historically the region's dryness hindered extensive placer mining, modern advancements—such as dustless dry-washing systems with up to 90% fine gold recovery, and recirculating wash plant setups—now offer viable solutions for gold extraction.



Geology and Mineralization
The Rochester District is underlain by Archean-age metamorphic rocks, including fine-grained gneisses and mica-hornblende schists. These are intersected by aplitic granite sills and dikes, which trend northeast and dip 15–40 degrees to the northwest. Additional geological features include diorite stocks, andesite flows to the east, and basalt flows to the west. Nearby exposures of the Boulder Batholith suggest that the igneous formations in the district could be upward extensions of this massive intrusive body (Winchell, 1914; Sahinen, 1935).
Ore deposits in the district are typically confined to narrow but highly mineralized veins that strike north to northeast and dip steeply westward. These veins are commonly associated with granite dikes and contain native gold, argentiferous galena, cerussite, malachite, chrysocolla, and pyrite, all hosted in quartz gangue. Vanadinite and exdemite have also been reported in limited quantities.




Site Description
The Golden Age Mine includes both upper terrace cuts and lower creek-level workings. Most of the gold-bearing gravels lie below the historic Watseca Mill, with the upper creek characterized by bedrock ravines. Alluvial deposits at the site contain a mixture of coarse and fine gold, with recovered material typically assaying at 93% purity.
Initial mining activity is believed to have begun in the early 1900s with the development of deep drift shafts and open cuts along the upper terraces. In the 1980s, additional trenches and shallow shafts were established along the creek, expanding the operational footprint of the original 60-acre claim. Numerous tailings piles remain, ranging from 5 to 50 cubic yards, composed of mineralized and iron-stained gravels.

• Mineralized gravel layers range from 8 inches to 1.5 feet below the surface, with gold concentrations estimated between 0.25 to 2.00 grams per cubic yard. Higher values are anticipated in areas of exposed bedrock. Secondary gold deposits are found in various historic lode prospect dumps across the claim.

Water, Access & Infrastructure
Rochester Creek provides seasonal water flow, with southern portions of the claim supporting depths from 6 inches to 3 feet, including a small pond near the old mining settlement. This water availability supports seasonal sluicing or highbanking operations and could be adapted for extended operations using modern recirculation systems.


The property includes a small mining camp comprising five standing structures situated in a gulch on the southern end of the claim. The area also offers level staging zones suitable for vehicles, equipment, or camping setups.
Access to the site is excellent via a well-maintained dirt road, suitable for most two-wheel-drive vehicles and all four-wheel-drive models.

 With rich geological potential, historical significance, seasonal water access, and modern accessibility, the Golden Age Mine offers an exceptional opportunity for both novice prospectors and established mining operators seeking a productive placer site in a historically proven district.

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