Gold was first discovered by a deaf mute that went down to the
creek for a drink and returned with a nugget found lying on the
bedrock. Swauk and Williams Creeks have been mined almost
continuously since that time.
Three types of mining have been successful in Liberty
PLACER - LODE - POCKET
PLACER: gold eroded from hard rock and deposited in stream beds
(The largest nuggets found in the State of Washington have come
from a few hundred feet across the creek from these coordinates.)
LODE: gold occurring within the solid rock in which it is
deposited.
POCKET: crystalline gold
Wire crystalline gold occurs rarely, perhaps in a dozen places
throughout the world. Liberty is one of those places. It is still a
mystery of nature why gold occurs in a crystalline form in some
places and not in other places. Liberty crystalline gold occurs in
pockets, sometimes in a cavity filled with a mud like substance,
and most of the time it is embedded in calcite. Occasionally it is
embedded in quartz. Crystalline gold is priced as a specimen at
many times the going price of gold on the world market.
____________
It is permissible to wander and read the signage in the fire
station, park with kiosk and across the street at the arrastra and
artifacts. Be mindful of private property and DO NOT TREPASS at the
other buildings. To log this cache you need to post a picture of
yourself at the Liberty sign or a nearby mining artifact AND email
me the answers to the following questions.
1. What year was gold discovered in Liberty?
2. What natural medium is used in placer mining?
3. What rare form of gold is found in this area?
4. How large was the pocket of this gold found in the Ace of
Diamonds Mine in 1956?
ALL ANSWERS LOGGED ONLINE WILL BE DELETED