Prospecting on Poverty Bar

Placer gold, or surface gold, was relatively abundant in California’s waterways when the Gold Rush first began in 1848. Early prospectors initially used primitive tools such as picks, pans (such as that being used in this 1913 photograph), and shovels to break up and wash riverbed gravel in their quest for riches. Identification Information: F3735:2177, Department of Natural Resources, Division of Mines and Geology.