It is not stated definitely in the published records, exactly when gold was first discovered in Vermont, but it was probably much earlier than the beginning of mining operations. In 1826, a gold nugget weighing eight and one-half ounces was found in Newfane. It was mostly gold with a small piece of quartz attached. In 1855-1861 several nuggets were found in Plymouth.

Some work was done on the Taggart vein in 1859, which was located on the old Thompson farm, about a mile west of Bridgewater center. Gold was discovered in the town of Bridgewater about 1853 or 1854, and within the next ten years two quartz mills were built to treat the ores. Silver also occurred with gold. At Plymouth Five Corners a mill pond was once drained and worked for placer gold. Sluice boxes and rockets were used.

There was a belt from ten to twenty miles wide, mostly on the eastern side of the Green Mountains, which was known to contain gold, in which area were found many traces of float gold. The Ammonoosuc gold field along the Connecticut River, and lying mostly in New Hampshire, also extended into Vermont. Gold was found in the extreme northern part of the state next to Massachusetts. Search for gold veins began with the discovery of a small nugget at Readsboro. The first work was probably done in 1884. The Taggart vein at Bridwater was opened in 1859 and produced 10 tonnes of ore which yielded 374 pennyweights of 21.5 karat gold.

Following the discovery of several gold nuggets at Plymouth, the washing gravels was begun and continued through 1855-1861. Ore obtained from the Readsboro mine in 1884 reported good gold contents.