Vermont Gold Rush

In 1826 gold nuggets were first discovered in Newfane and Somerset, Vt. In 1851, 49er Matthew Kennedy discovered gold in Buffalo Brook at Plymouth. By 1855, a gold rush was underway here and in Bridgewater, Vt. Prospectors staked their claims. The greatest activity occurred at Buffalo Brook and the Pollard farm. At Plymouth Five Corners, a gold mill and crusher were built. In the 1880s, seven companies were operating here. The Rooks Mining Company earned $13,000 in a six-month period in 1884. After Rooks went bankrupt in the late 1880s, mine manager and hermit Henry Fox searched for gold until his death in 1919. Recreational prospectors still pan for gold in Buffalo Brook and elsewhere.