Oregon's Largest Gold Nugget

Stories from the heart of the Siskiyou Mountains, Cave Junction, Oregon

The largest gold nugget in Oregon history was discovered in 1859 on Althouse Creek, one of the four major mining zones in Illinois Valley. The discovery of the nugget was welcomed but not unexpected because miners had been looking for gold along this creek since 1852. We can only imagine what it must have been like to discover a 17 pound nugget.

Althouse Creek was named for Philip Althouse, one of the first prospectors to find gold on this stream. In a very short time a large number of miners had arrived, and hundreds of claims were staked out on ten miles of the creek bed. By 1853 it was estimated that nearly 1,000 men were mining there.

The largest gold nugget in Oregon history was found about half a mile below Browntown, pictured in this undated illustration near Althouse Creek during the peak of mining activity in that area. Several mining camps sprang up along Althouse Creek with names like Browntown, Hogtown and Frenchtown. Browntown evolved into one of the larger communities and was reported to have had from 300 to 500 inhabitants during the peak of the mining boom (illustration to right). The Althouse gold nugget was found about half a mile below this town.

At one time, miners attempted to completely drain Althouse Creek by diverting the water into Democrat Gulch near the present-day location of the Holland store. The first drainage system was installed in 1871 and included a diversion ditch four feet wide by four feet deep and a 1,200 foot tunnel that was declared to be the most noteworthy engineering accomplishment in Oregon at that time. The gravel and sand that washed out of this tunnel are what Foris Vineyard and Winery near Holland, Oregon is sitting on. A second drainage system with a diversion ditch and tunnel was installed about half a mile above the other and also emptied into Democrat Gulch near Holland. This may have been the source of water used to drive the lumber saws at the Mayfield Mill.

You can see both Foris Vineyards and the Mayfield Mill site on the History Loop Tour from Cave Junction to Oregon Caves National Monument. The history loop also passes Althouse Creek Road, which goes over the ridge and follows Althouse Creek for a short distance. The site of Browntown is located about three miles up Althouse Creek Road but there isn't anything left of it because it was eventually torn down as miners looked for gold in the gravels under its buildings and streets.

Story by Roger Brandt

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