Final answer:
During the gold rush era, prospectors used different processes to stake their claims, including metes and bounds descriptions and panning for gold. Later on, large-scale mining operations required companies and investments.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the gold rush era, prospectors used different processes to stake their claims. One common method was through the practice of 'metes and bounds.' This involved scouting unclaimed land, hiring a surveyor to inspect it, and registering a legal claim based on a description of the desired plot of land. The boundaries of the land parcels were often described using local landmarks such as trees, boulders, or streams.
Another process used by prospectors was panning for gold. The original Forty-Niners in California sifted gold out of dirt and gravel by diverting a stream through a sluice box or manually panning. This method was repeated in other regions during the gold rush, such as Colorado and Nevada. In later years, as large-scale mining operations developed, prospectors formed companies and sought investments to conduct mining activities. They would assess a site's potential and drill deep into the earth to extract minerals.