One mile west of Auraria along the Etowah, the Battle Branch Mine produced gold for more than a century. Discovered in 1831 during the height of the rush, the property began with placer work in the creek gravels before expanding into deep lode mining along quartz zones in altered gneiss. A U.S. Geological Survey report from the 1930s noted pockets of exceptionally rich ore and documented 781.97 ounces of bullion shipped in just a single year of renewed activity (1934–35). Over time the mine grew to include underground stopes, a stamp mill and waste piles that still dot the hillsides. Battle Branch symbolizes the evolution of Auraria’s diggings—from pan and rocker to hard‑rock enterprise—and helps explain why miners kept returning to this district long after the first frenzy faded. Respect property boundaries if you go looking; most of the old workings lie on private land.