Orogrande — Idaho County

Source: Tom Ashworth's Prospectors Cache (tomashworth.com / Mike Higbee / 49erMike). Author: Tom Ashworth. Original page: idaho_id.shtml. State index: https://web.archive.org/web/20040830075749/http://www.tomashworth.com/goldloc.shtml Area: Orogrande. Map coordinates are an approximate county centroid — not a precise claim site. Orogrande is 12 miles southwest of Elk City. The district still producing gold, but it was most productive between 1902 and 1959. It had a total production of around 32,000 ounces of gold. The local creeks, gulches and benches have all been worked intermittantly. The Orogrande - Frisco and the Gnome Mines were the largest producers in the area. Southwest of Orogrande 8 miles, is the Buffalo Hump district, it had a total production of 27,000 ounces from 1898 until 1941. There are many area mines and ghost towns in the area. The Big Buffalo Property, was a major mine. North of the Buffalo Hump Mountain and West of the Elk City District is the Tenmile district. It had a total production of 147,000 ounces, mostly placer gold. The Newsome Basin Placers were in the area of Newsome Creek and its tributaries. The rich placers were discovered in 1861. There were many mines in the area.