The Norwegian Claim is a full 20 acre lode claim, despite being located in a tiny island of BLM land. The claim is nearly completely fenced and while there is little shade, there is water underground.
A group of small cabins make up the mine camp. They are in remarkably good condition and it appears the only use they get is from the locals. Set back behind the cabins is a series of old concrete feeding troughs. These are likely left over from 1950-1960s era farming. Behind these old troughs, is a substantial old water pump set among some highly overgrown tailings.

The water-pump is in good condition and shows very little wear, but it has been here long enough to sink into the ground at least 12-15 inches as the main drive is now a few inches into the soil. This pump is evidence of the workings of the Norwegian, as the water table must have been hit and the pump needed to move water out of the mine.

The mine itself appears to be a substantial incline working. There are water and air lines protruding from it. The old headframe was a 20 footer, the old timbers have collapsed around and into the incline making it currently inaccessible. It would be a simple and quick job to break up the wood and pack it out, thus restoring access.

Despite the current farm land that surrounds the claim, this is gold country. The Norwegian Mill is less than ¼ mile away and the remains of an old crusher are testament to the work and development that was completed here. The Norwegian District was a gold producing district and this forgotten mine was a key producer in the district.

This site is out in the low lying hills of Montana, and while there is very little shade on the claim, there is shelter in the form of the cabins on the claim. There is also water, and a lot of it. Some just off the claim, and once you dig into the workings, you will likely find more water than you want.
There is flat land and room to park and stage whatever you would like. The road to the claim is wide and clean and could be traversed with a 2WD vehicle. There was absolutely no evidence of any disturbance to the mine or the workings. This was reinforced by the quartz and gold ores that were found in the tailings around the mine.

Location and Access:

The location is somewhat remote, the larger towns of Helena and Bozeman being close to 100 miles away. There are a lot of small towns around the area where fuel and food can be acquired. The access is second to none. A 2WD vehicle will have no problem making it to the mine. A good paved road leads 90% of the way with only the last few miles on a well maintained dirt road.

Description:

he Norwegian District was named for the river that runs through the valley. The Norwegian Mine was the largest and primary producer of the district. Giving up over $100,000 in gold prior to its closing in 1942, while still actively producing.

The claim is easy to access, but has had virtually no traffic since its closing mandated by the L-208 War Act. This claim was worked at its most productive state with only 5 men who were shipping $25,000 of ore per month from 1938 to 1942. This is an amazing opportunity for todays small miner to jump in on a well documented, productive mine that boasts over 400’ of drifts and has produced thousands of ounces of free-milling gold and has a lot more to be worked. The history of the mine speaks for itself:

Geology:

There are two nearly vertical veins in a marginal phase of the monzonite batholith. The veins strike N. 2C° E. and N. 400 E., respectively. They are about 250 feet apart where developed.

Development comprises a 110-foot vertical shaft on no. 1 vein. From the bottom of the shaft is a drift northeast on the vein and a crosscut to no. 2 vein. On no. 1 vein two shoots, one about 40 feet long and another probably somewhat longer, had been stoped to surface. These shoots were said to have produced high-grade gold ore.

No. 2 vein was said to be wider and lower grade but was inaccessible. There were surface evidences of considerable stoping. The water level appeared to be just below the bottom of no. 1 shaft.” (Lorain 1937).

History:

Bureau of Mines report circa 1937; on Gold Lode Mining in the Tobacco Root Mountains;
“The only active lode mine in the Norwegian district was the Norwegian mine, which was being reopened by J. T. Dravenstott of Norris. This mine was said to have produced $50,000 from high-grade shipping ore in the early days of the district ($50K in 1903 adjusted for inflation would be over $1,276,900 today. Another way to look at it is the 1903 price of gold was 18.95 per ounce. 50K/18.95 = 2638 ounces of gold – the number is probably a little lower when you subtract the small amount of silver taken from the mine. Still 2600+ ounces of gold from a small mine like this suggests the ore was pretty rich). The Norwegian is located in the foothills, several miles west of the Montana Highway 1 about 7 miles northwest of Norris.

Additional History on the Norwegian
The Norwegian mine was mentioned in the mining literature in 1902, 1903 and 1934. In 1935 there was a 100-foot shaft plus 300 feet of drifts and crosscuts. The plant consisted of a gasoline hoist, and 5 men were employed there. According to the owner, the mine had produced about $25,000, with the last shipments averaging over $100 per ton. In addition to drifts from the bottom of the shaft, several ore shoots were also drifted from the surface (Gilbert 1935; Lorain 1937; WPA 1941).

Photos: