William Gay Grand River Placer Gold

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William Gay Grand River Placer Gold

Lost Treasure ND • Bowman County County
Description
Haley area legend of prospector William Gay finding placer gold in the Grand River — the 1898 town was almost named Galey in his honor and treasure writers imagine undiscovered pay along the Dickinson–Belle Fourche stage corridor.
Historical Notes
Captain James Fisk reported a hill of gold along Deep Creek in 1864, but William Gay's later Grand River placers are the best-documented regional gold find. Haley became Bowman County's oldest town when homesteaders expected the Milwaukee Road along the Grand River; the railroad bypassed the site by fifteen miles. Legends of America ties Gay's discovery to ongoing placer lore near the preserved Haley Bridge over the Grand River.
Status / Verification legend — Legendary or approximate

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