Rocky Mountain Gold Prospecting! Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming recreational gold prospecting adventures! Rock hounding, gem collecting, and treasure hunting in the Rockies! Minerals and geology of the rocky mountain states, ATV, Jeep tours and the best RV campgrounds, cabins, and camping on your Rocky Mountain gold prospecting adventure! July 31, 2010 Home Lodging Learn Gold Prospecting Getting Started How To Articles Gold Panning and Mine Tour Rates Colorado Diamonds Treasure Hunting Stories The Gold Fields Tom's Baby Gold Price Conversion Table Weight Conversion Chart MOH's Scale Prospector's Code of Ethics Colorado Mine Tours Lodging Attractions Mountain Men South Park Gold Deposits Prospector Links Publications Walker Wilderness Weekly Colorado Tours Rocky Mountain Air Charters Check the Weather! Contact Us Updated 03/13/10

Breckenridge Gold! The town started as a small mining camp in 1859, and at the peak of the gold rush was named after then Vice-President John Cabell Breckinridge to guarantee a post office for the town. They later changed the spelling to Breckenridge after the politician joined the Southern Confederate Army in the Civil War. Then in 1887, Breckenridge became famous for the find of the largest gold nugget in Colorado, the 13-pound "Tom's Baby". On July 23, 1887, the largest gold nugget ever found in the State of Colorado was discovered in Breckenridge. Tom Groves walked into the town cradling the blanket wrapped bundle in his arms, and it was appropriately named "Tom's Baby", weighing in at 13.5 lbs. Three days later the nugget was sent to Denver via train... it then disappeared for 85 years. Rumors surrounding the nugget's 85 years of freedom are abundant, including that it was shown at the Smithsonian, the Peabody Museum, Harvard University and Chicago's Field Museum, but none could be verified. Tom's Baby was essentially kidnapped. In 1972, the Colorado State Historical Museum was prodded into examining gold specimens that had been deposited in a Denver bank in 1926. Sure enough, Tom's Baby was found, but over 5 lbs are still missing. Breckenridge is just over the hill from South Park. Geologists have made the statement "These gold fields contain more gold than has been taken out by all the mining done over the last 120 years." Home | Gold Prospecting Tour | How To Articles | Colorado Diamonds | Tom's Baby Treasure Hunting Stories | The Gold Fields | Prospector's Code of Ethics Colordo Mine Tours | Attractions | Mountain Men Prospector Links | Publications | Walker Wilderness Weekly Lodging | Colorado Tours | Getting Started | South Park Gold Deposits Gold Panning and Mine Tour Rates | Gold Price Conversion Table Copyright © 2010 - Rocky Mountain Tourism LLC - all rights reserved