BAKER CITY — The infamous Armstrong nugget, an 80-ounce hunk of gold, will soon have a new home.

The nugget, and assorted other pieces of gold, has been on display at U.S. Bank since the 1950s. This summer, the bank transferred ownership of the entire exhibit to Baker County.

The gold is in a secure location while plans are made for a permanent display at Baker Heritage Museum in the entrance to the rock collection room.

The exhibit will require a high level of security measures, said Lynn Weems, museum director.

In addition to the nugget, the entire collection contains more than 1,000 ounces of gold.

But the centerpiece is the biggest chunk of gold.

“It’s one of the only intact nuggets from the Gold Rush,” Weems said.

History

The nugget wasn’t actually discovered in Baker County. The story is recounted in “Strike It Rich,” a booklet by Robert C. Rapp Sr. that is available in the Baker Heritage Museum gift shop. Terry Becktold, Rapp’s daughter, is working on an expanded book with more information and photos.

Here’s the story, according to Rapp.

The nugget is named for George Armstrong. In 1906, Armstrong and his wife, Lida, and friends Dick and Sarah Stewart filed for a gold placer claim on 80 acres near Susanville, which is located in Grant County along the Middle Fork John Day River.

The mining operation involved spraying rock with water and washing the loosened material through a sluice box, where the riffles could catch nuggets.

On June 19, 1913, George and Dick headed to the claim. After a break for lunch, the men returned and discovered a large rock.

Rapp recounts: “Dick tried to move it with the toe of his right boot, but it was so heavy he jammed his foot into the mud.”

After rinsing the rock, they saw it had the dull yellow color of gold. A lot of gold.

Rapp writes that the miners decided the nugget must be taken to the bank. Armed with guns, a trio set off for Baker — Armstrong, his son George Jr., and Stewart.

But news spread quickly — they met crowds of curious onlookers along the way, and were interviewed several times.

They boarded a train in Austin and were met with folks at the stops in Sumpter and McEwen.

In Baker, Police Chief Edward Jackson met the men at the station and escorted them to the First National Bank. The men decided to leave the nugget at the bank, and borrow against it. The first loan was $200. In September, the men returned to Baker with their wives and signed a six-month loan for $500.

They decided to sell the nugget in April 1914, and each received $400.

The historic hunk of gold remained at the bank. John B. Rogers, who became bank president in 1947, decided to display the nugget for the public. First National merged with U.S. Bank in 1959. For decades, visitors to the bank could see the gold display, and hear an audio recording by Stewart Sullivan, who worked at the bank for 20 years.