In the bend of Rich Gulch near its junction with Ash Hollow, five miners worked during the winter of 1849-50 using a hollowed log as a rocker, and the rich pocket yielded five pounds of gold per day. The gulches in this district proved highly productive, and news of the strikes led to the rush in 1850 that brought a thousand goldminers to the Trinity River country. By July 1850, miners had founded the town of Weaverville.