Gold Mine Creek

It's interesting how things work for me. I don't believe in coincidence or luck. I feel that everything happens for a reason -it's a Godsend. I know it.

Sunday, while digging up wild asparagus plants next to the railroad tracks in Landrum, some friends stopped by to check out what I was doing and we started talking about treasure hunting.

One thing lead to the next and we were talking about a local spot that was once a commercial gold mining operation. I don't have the dates of operation but it was many years ago.

Gold has been an important part of North Carolina's history since 1799, the date of the first authenticated discovery of gold in the United States. North Carolina was the nation's only gold-producing state from 1803 until 1828, and continued as a leading producer until 1848 when gold was discovered in California. http://www.geology.enr.state.nc.us/Gold%20brochure/Gold%20Brochure%2012222000.htm#WHERE%20GOLD%20WAS%20MINED

Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. From this discovery, gold mining spread gradually to nearby counties and eventually into other southern states. During its peak years gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The estimated value of gold recovered reached over a million dollars a year. http://www.goldmaps.com/east/north_carolina_gold.htm

C. Bechtler began operation of a private gold coin mint in 1831 at Rutherfordton, North Carolina. Gold mines and prospectors supplied gold to the mint. Bechtler’s gold coins were widely accepted in trade and are now highly prized by coin collectors. C. Bechtler operated his mint until 1838 and then his son, A. Bechtler, operated it until 1857. In the meantime the U.S. had established mints at Dahlonega, Georgia and Charlotte, North Carolina; yet the private operations of Bechtler were not interfered with, for the reason, it was said, that the Bechtler coins were found to equal or exceed the federal standards of fineness and weight.

My friends were telling me about the old mine site on Gold Mine Creek in Polk County and it ends up that I have another contact who owns property on the same road. I called my friend and asked him if the creek ran through his property. He said he didn't have a creek but there was a spring out past the old burnt house that ran into a little branch that fed the creek. Basically, his property held the start of Gold Mine Creek. He added, in the conversation that his land was purchased from the old mine company and it had been in his family for years.

OK PEOPLE. THIS IS GOOD TREASURE HUNTING INFORMATION!!! An old gold mine and an old house site that would be great for metal detecting! I asked if I could ride out and take a look, he agreed and I'm heading out there as soon as possible...

Posted picture - Surface structures at Gold Hill, 1857, including several mill houses, trestles for transporting water, and a stock of logs for the mine. (Courtesy, N. C. Historic Sites, Division of Archives and History.)