1843: First ‘Recorded’ Discovery Of Gold In The Cañon del Oro

The first ‘recorded’ discovery of gold in the Cañon del Oro [1] was in 1843 by Spanish Colonel Antonio Pascual Narbona, who made his find as he commanded a military expedition against the Apache Indians in the area. [2] [3]

According to this version of history by historian Donald Page, on June 29, 1843, Narbona and his troops camped at a water hole by the north end of the lower canyon where they washed out some placer gold nuggets from the creek.

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This often-repeated story has some fact. In 1843, a Commander Narbona did chase some Apaches around the Santa Catalina Mountains on that date. [4]

There was a Spanish army officer named Antonio Pascual Narbona. He was the acting commander, or Alférez, of the Tucson Presidio in 1794. [5] [6] [7] [8] But, after he served as governor of New Mexico, he died in 1830. [9] [10] This Narbona does fit the title and location, but he died thirteen years before the reported find.

Col. Narbona, however, did have a son also named Antonio Narbona who fought Apache Indians and lived during that time period. Senior Col. Narbona’s son is the likely person named in this legend. 

But, outside of Donald Page’s claim, there is no report of Narbona’s gold discovery. Noted historians James Officer [11] and Hubert Howe Bancroft [12] both mention Narbona’s expedition against the Apaches on that day. But, they leave out any reference to gold.

 According to historical accounts of the event, Junior Antonio Narbona, the military commander of the Santa Cruz territory, assembled a force of two hundred and forty one soldiers and Indian allies in Tucson to fight against the Apaches on that June 29^th.

The troops set out from the Tucson Presidio that afternoon and rode east toward the San Pedro River, probably along the south end of Rincon Peak. Several times, threatening Apaches yelled out insults to the passing troops. When a small contingent was sent into the Catalinas to challenge them, the Indians vanished.

The Apaches attacked Narbona’s camp on July 3^rd in a frontal assault, but fifteen Apaches were isolated and “wiped out.” Narbona headed back to Tucson with some victory the following day. [13]

There is no other account of anyone in the group finding gold nuggets on their way out of Tucson on the date that Page attributes to Narbona’s discovery. But, they were gone for four days before they returned.

It would have been impractical to find gold on June 29, the day they left. They would have departed from Tucson that afternoon, found gold nuggets at the Cañon del Oro on the northwest side of the mountains, and then, headed to the southern range of the mountains and then east towards the San Pedro before they camped by Rincon Peak, all within one day. That is nearly one hundred miles of travel on horseback which is highly improbable.

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