Gold Rush Expeditions, Inc.® presents the Montreal Star Gold Mining Properties/Claims

The Montreal Star is thought to have been located in or around 1868-1869 at the time when many, many properties were being staked on outcrops. The rush of the Treasure Hill and the Butte Mines quickly dwarfed every other property in the area regardless of the quality of material at the site. The mines showed consistent good value but with minimal money to develop, they were never fully worked or examined. The Gagnier family held the claims since at least 1886, they sold a 50% interest in the property in 1891 to the Bessette family, reportedly for a 40-acre homestead outside of Butte. The two families never worked the properties after the original patriarchs passed. In 1949, the Hicks brothers noted the property and the potential for gold development. They took a 25-year lease from the owners and began working the site.
They worked the property and made a reasonable living at the site. In 1955, the brothers applied for a DMEA loan for further development. This led to the discovery of their maps, assays and reports on the property being released publicly. The DMEA loan was denied because there was not a well-defined zinc deposit as the brothers had noted. Regardless, the Hicks brothers continued to work the property up into 1980.