Most people may not realize that there was a lot of gold mining east of Eagle Lake extending from Gallatin Peak, Green’s Peak and Round Valley. The mining discovery occurred in the early 1870s, and Wright P. Hall had an extensive tunnel on Gallatin Peak in 1879. Many years later, my grandmother Lola Murrer Tanner (1899-1973) who grew up in nearby Willow Creek Valley made a reference of a lost valuable gold mine in that area with a reference to Gallatin Peak. There were others over the years that shared the same belief.
In the summer of 1935, two prospectors, Paul Olsen and Joe Weatherman, who had spent the last few years in that area, believed they finally found the lost mine. Among the items found was an old cabin, where there was some ore, along with an old tunnel 140 feet in length. Of course, they were sly not to reveal the exact location. They immediately formed the Meteor Mining Company. Their next obstacle was to secure a 200 acre lease from the Red River Lumber Company who owned the majority of the property in that region. Whether they succeeded is not known.
A few years back, I went in search of the Hanson Mine of the early 1900s, that fits the description of Olson and Weatherman’s find. However, between fires and logging the site may have been obliterated.
