Dream Gulch
Late 1890s hydraulic mining is being used to reach bedrock, at lower left. The tree line seen as a thin dark line at the top gives a perspective of how deep a hole has been dug.
Courtesy of Museum of North Idaho
The gold rush era for North Idaho occurred during the years spanning the last half of the 19th century and into the early 20th century.
Nowhere in North Idaho was the lust for gold more manifest and the damage to nature it caused than along Prichard Creek and its tributaries between the “boom and bust” town of Murray and the now non-existent town of Eagle.
Part true and part fable is the story of a farmer from Eastern Washington named Francis Marion Davis. He claimed that he had a recurring dream, three nights in a row, that repeatedly showed him where he could find gold — lots of it.
He found the location where his dream had predicted a gold strike and filed a claim. On Oct. 7, 1883, he struck a rich deposit of gold on the site. Davis, along with three partners, worked the claim only one season. The yield was in the form of nuggets and coarse gold and only lasted one season before the “pay streak” played out. An item in the July 16 issue of the Mullan News reported that this claim was the richest gold find in the area.
Dream Gulch went on to yield other rich gold strikes. Murray and Eagle attracted thousands of eager prospectors who attacked the beautiful forests with axes, picks, shovels and powerful jets of water. The changes to the local landscape are still visible. One hopeful prospector who appeared in Eagle during this time was Wyatt Earp. His short stay was associated with violence and claim-jumping. Many were pleased by his departure.
The site where Davis had his amazing luck became known as Dream Gulch. In Tony and Suzanne Bamonte’s detailed book, "The Coeur d’Alenes Gold Rush and It’s Lasting Legacy," on page 134 is a reproduction of an early map showing Dream Gulch located outside Murray.
My attempt to track down the exact site of Dream Gulch was made difficult due to the lack of information in current Forest Service maps and other current maps. Fortunately, my inquisitiveness (and thirst) led me to the Prichard Tavern, where several locals seated at the bar knew exactly where the mine site was located. They recounted episodes in their youth when they played around the rusting mine equipment and the big yellow bedrock boulder with drill holes in it.
The Museum of North Idaho recognizes the value of the mining industry in Idaho’s history and is planning new and more-detailed exhibits for the new Museum in the JC White house.
Richard Sheldon is a member of the Museum of North Idaho board of directors.