The first gold in Montana was found in 1852 on Gold Creek in Powell County. In 1863 the very rich deposits of Alder Gulch near Virginia City created a rush to the area. Since that time Montana has produced 17,752,000 ounces of gold and it is ranked seventh among the gold producing states. More than half of Montana’s gold production is derived as a by product from large copper mines. Some of this state’s richest placer ground is found in Broadwater County on the eastern slopes of the Elkhorn Mountains.