NC Gold

TarheelPanner

Full Member
Mar 26, 2012
105
9
Mebane, NC
Detector(s) used
Tesoro Silver uMax
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gold mining was once second only to agriculture as North Carolina's most important industry. It started in 1799 with the discovery of a large nugget on the Cabarrus County farm of John Reed, a former Hessian soldier. For three years the hunk was used as a doorstop. Finally, a jeweler recognized it as a 17-pound gold nugget. [2] Thus began the first gold rush in America!

Gold mining became a major industry in many North Carolina counties. Though early census figures show most heads of families were employed as farmers, a great number of these farmers were also occupied as gold miners. Gold mining at its peak employed more North Carolinians than any occupation other than farming from 1800 to the Civil War years. Entire families, including the children from five to six years up worked in the mines

At that time gold was searched for in the creeks and what could be found lying on the ground. The type of mining employed by our North Carolina miners was very crude and primitive. The miners were for the most part poor people with little capital to use for mining and were poorly trained in mining. It was noted at the time that perhaps two-thirds of the gold was wasted in the primitive mining methods and therefore only a small percentage of the gold was retrieved.

Meanwhile, gold was discovered in Alamance, Anson, Burke, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rutherford, Davidson, and other counties.Gold mining was once second only to agriculture as North Carolina's most important industry. It started in 1799 with the discovery of a large nugget on the Cabarrus County farm of John Reed, a former Hessian soldier. For three years the hunk was used as a doorstop. Finally, a jeweler recognized it as a 17-pound gold nugget. [2] Thus began the first gold rush in America!

Gold mining became a major industry in many North Carolina counties. Though early census figures show most heads of families were employed as farmers, a great number of these farmers were also occupied as gold miners. Gold mining at its peak employed more North Carolinians than any occupation other than farming from 1800 to the Civil War years. Entire families, including the children from five to six years up worked in the mines

Meanwhile, gold was discovered in Anson, Burke, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rutherford, Davidson, and other counties. A Tarborough newspaper in 1828 claimed that North Carolina had become known as the "golden state from the great lumps of precious metal found there."

A Tarborough newspaper in 1828 claimed that North Carolina had become known as the "golden state from the great lumps of precious metal found there."
 

Eureka

Greenie
Apr 23, 2012
10
1
Greensboro NC
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
New 2012 Gold Rush is on in SE Greensboro area. :-) be among the first to get in on it Woo haaa before I get it all for myself he he he Hi I'm Robert Way Just started a new small business in SE Greensboro. I cover a range of activity from Panning in troffts at the city park to Exstracting gold for private property owners. I have a mobile unit to take panning to any event as well as a stream for guided outtings. On my days off I hit the streams myself and as of today have never goen out and not found some color. I'm looking to try starting a club as well and maybe get some people together to go out hunting down some serious color on some of the local streams. I'm new to everything as this is only my second year at prospeting and spent the first 4 months of that collecting fools gold lol.
 

Terry Soloman

Gold Member
May 28, 2010
19,408
30,017
White Plains, New York
🥇 Banner finds
1
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
Nokta Makro Legend// Pulsedive// Minelab GPZ 7000// Vanquish 540// Minelab Pro Find 35// Dune Kraken Sandscoop// Grave Digger Tools Tombstone shovel & Sidekick digger// Bunk's Hermit Pick
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
Good Luck and Big Gold! Here is the site for my business Arizona gold prospecting, gold prospecting, gold panning If I can help you, give me a call. - T

New 2012 Gold Rush is on in SE Greensboro area. :-) be among the first to get in on it Woo haaa before I get it all for myself he he he Hi I'm Robert Way Just started a new small business in SE Greensboro. I cover a range of activity from Panning in troffts at the city park to Exstracting gold for private property owners. I have a mobile unit to take panning to any event as well as a stream for guided outtings. On my days off I hit the streams myself and as of today have never goen out and not found some color. I'm looking to try starting a club as well and maybe get some people together to go out hunting down some serious color on some of the local streams. I'm new to everything as this is only my second year at prospeting and spent the first 4 months of that collecting fools gold lol.
 

geodetecting

Jr. Member
Feb 13, 2012
52
5
North Carolina
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
New 2012 Gold Rush is on in SE Greensboro area. :-) be among the first to get in on it Woo haaa before I get it all for myself he he he Hi I'm Robert Way Just started a new small business in SE Greensboro. I cover a range of activity from Panning in troffts at the city park to Exstracting gold for private property owners. I have a mobile unit to take panning to any event as well as a stream for guided outtings. On my days off I hit the streams myself and as of today have never goen out and not found some color. I'm looking to try starting a club as well and maybe get some people together to go out hunting down some serious color on some of the local streams. I'm new to everything as this is only my second year at prospeting and spent the first 4 months of that collecting fools gold lol.

Contact me, I'm in Mebane, NC with a great iron filed hot rocks creek etc., need a pro to let me know how to hunt. Just purchased a Fisher Gold Bug Pro. Bill
 

charlotte49er

Sr. Member
Jun 2, 2011
252
52
Charlotte, NC
Detector(s) used
XP DEUS, DetectorPro Pirate Pro & Headhunter Wader, Fisher F2, F4, F75, Tesoro Compadre, Silver Umax, Vaquero, Cortes, Nugget Snoop & Falcon MD20
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
The Reed Gold Mine was known for it's large gold nuggets. From 1803 to 1834, 14 nuggets were found having a total weight of 115 pounds! The size of the nuggets ranged from 1 to 28 pounds (28 pound nugget was found in 1803.). Later a 25 pound nugget was found! Mack Cox found a 8 pound nugget in 1896.

Source: Gold Resources of North Carolina Orginally Published by the NC DNR by P A Carpenter III Publshed in 1972 rev 1978 (Long out of print.)

Placer Gold is still being found in Little Medow Creek outside the Reed Gold Mine state property. (Not nuggets though.)
 

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