Gold Rush Days, hosted by the Ohio Buckeye Chapter of the Gold Prospectors Association of America (GPAA) this weekend, August 30 and 31, offers a variety of activity. Visitors may watch demonstrations of the various gold prospecting methods as well as try their own hand at panning for gold.
“Anything they find is theirs to keep,” said Glenn Snider, president of the Buckeye Chapter.
The event is free to the public, including panning, though there is a $10 charge for the metal detecting event. “Everyone that gets in the metal detector hunt will win. We have over 200 prizes to give away,” said Snider.
The weekend-long event offers free camping for GPAA members, food vendors, crafts and jewelry, entertainment, competitions, and even a bonfire Saturday evening.
The “ducky race” is a popular event, noted Snider. For the donation of $1, attendees may purchase a rubber duck to race along the current. The event brings cheering crowds to the banks of the river, he added, and is fun for the whole family. The winning duck nets a gold nugget for the owner.
Money raised during Gold Rush Days is used for maintenance and improvements to claim sites. “Everything we make, we put right back into the club,” said Snider, who noted the club is non-profit.
Events begin at 8 a.m. each day, and the full schedule and directions may be found at the website.
Gold Rush Days is held at the Swank West GPAA Gold Claim in Bellville. The claim is located at the corner of Gatton Rocks Road and Cutnaw Road.
“In 1853, there was a gold rush here that actually changed the course of the river,” said Snider. “It’s all glacial gold,” he continued. “There’s no natural gold in Ohio. It was all brought in by the glaciers.”
“It’s very small,” he added, “but there’s a lot of it.”
Snider noted that panning is very important in gold prospecting. “You can have a multi-million dollar operation, but it all comes down to panning. You have to separate the black sands from the gold, and that can only be done efficiently by hand.”
Jerry Gogol has been prospecting for gold about 11 years, he said. His homemade equipment is something of an attraction, at least to the other prospectors.
Snider noted that the largest piece of gold he’s ever seen to come out of the claim was just a bit larger than a piece of rice.
“Those are few and far between,” added Gogol, “They are almost impossible to find.”
“This is a hobby,” said Snider. “You aren’t going to make any money. You aren’t going to pay for your equipment. You are finding something that no one has ever seen before, creating new wealth.”
“It’s not finding the gold; it’s the fun of hunting for the gold,” Snider continued.
Snider said he just can’t praise the hobby enough, noting it’s a wonderful family activity, and a great place to make new friends and remember old ones.
On the Swank claim site sits a small playground dedicated to the memory of a Buckeye Chapter member, Rick Lange.
Snider said that Lange had taken home an old iron swing to repair for the site, but died shortly afterward. In lieu of flowers, Lange’s wife asked that donations be made for the playground. The Buckeye Chapter maintains a fund for the upkeep of the playground, Snider said.
Snider reiterated that gold prospecting isn’t just about the small gold flakes found in the water. “It’s the camaraderie. You find a lot more gold than the kind you can hold,” he said.
