The Virginia “gold belt” lies in a northwestern linear band from Great Falls of the Potomac River, southwest through Stafford, Fauquier, Chancellorsville, Mineral, Tabscott, and nearly to Appomattox.

Stafford’s gold mines were concentrated along Rocky Pen and Horsepen Runs in the lower part of the county. Eugene C. Scheel’s excellent historical map portrays the large number of mines and associated family dwellings in the U.S. Ford peninsula by the Rappahannock River. (Click on the map to enlarge and read the mine names.)