CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) – Most people are acquainted with the California gold rush — however, did you realize that the initial gold ever uncovered in this nation was discovered right here in North Carolina?
The narrative begins in 1799 in Cabarrus County, featuring a 12-year-old Conrad Reed.
“Reed chose a Sunday to avoid church and go fishing in the Creek, and he was using a bow. He shot his arrow into the Creek, missed the fish, went to get his arrow back, and instead discovered a 17-pound gleaming rock,” said Amanda Brantley, manager of the Reed Gold Mine Site.
Reed’s parents were agricultural workers. They were unaware of the significance of what their son discovered or even what it actually was. They used their “shiny rock” as a door wedge.
Eventually selling it to a jeweler in Fayetteville for only $3.50, which was equivalent to a week’s pay from farming. It was valued at approximately $3,600.
You can imagine how the word really spread from there, and by the 1840s and 1850s, this place was lively,” Brantley said. “There was a mining town that had been built up in what we now refer to as the top of the hill.
Individuals were discovering gold, with the biggest piece weighing 28 pounds. However, following 1896, no additional large pieces were located.
In reality, very little gold was actually found. Due to reports of California having abundant gold, miners continued their journey. In 1912, the final underground mining operations concluded here, the farmland changed ownership, and the area remained quiet for over six decades.
“So, it was designated as a state historic site. The site was opened in 1977,” Brantley said.
Since that time, the location where gold was initially found in the United States has become a popular destination for visitors.
Reed Gold Minehas drawn visitors for almost 50 years. Visitors trace the path of miners through underground mine tunnels and, of course, search for gold.
Due to the North Carolina gold rush, the Charlotte mint was constructed in this location. Individuals were converting their gold nuggets into gold coins.
When the mines ceased operations, the Charlotte mint also shut down eventually. It is now also a museum.
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