Reed Gold Mine
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| Reed Gold Mine | |
|---|---|
| (U.S. National Historic Landmark District) | |
| Nearest city: | Concord, North Carolina |
| Built/Founded: | 1799 |
| Architect: | Unknown |
| Architectural style(s): | No Style Listed |
| Added to NRHP: | October 15, 1966 |
| NRHP Reference#: | 66000587[1] |
| Governing body: | State |
The Reed Gold Mine is located in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States.[2]
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[edit] History
In 1799, Conrad Reed, the son of farmer and former Hessian soldier John Reed (né Johannes Reith), found a 17 pound yellow "rock" in Little Meadow Creek on the family farm in Cabarrus County, North Carolina. For three years, the rock served as a bulky doorstop. In 1802, a jeweler from Fayetteville identified the rock as a large gold nugget. He told Reed to name his price. Reed, not understanding the true value of gold, asked for what he thought was a hefty price of $3.50, or a weeks worth of wage for the farmer. The nugget's true value was around $3,600.
About 1803, John Reed organized a small gold mining operation. A 28 pound nugget was discovered not long afterward by a slave named Peter.[2] Placer mining continued for a number of years, and underground mining began in 1831. John Reed died rich in 1845. Some years later, the American Civil War led activity at the mine to decrease. The last underground mining activity at the Reed occurred in 1912, and the last large nugget uncovered by placer mining was discovered in 1896.
Today, the mine is a state historic site and is open to the public. Visitors can tour a museum with extensive information about North Carolina gold mining, and can walk through several hundred feet of restored mine tunnels.
The Charlotte Mint was eventually founded in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina to handle the large amount of gold found in the region and state throughout the 19th century and into the early 20th.[2][3]
[edit] John Reed
Johannes Reith a Hessen soldier from Raboldshausen, Germany served in Company C (Col. Friedrich von Porbeck) of the Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach. On June 21, 1782 he left his post outside of Savannah, Georgia and took with him his arms and equipment. He arrived in 'upper' Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, later Cabarrus and settled in the German community. He Anglicized his name to John Reed. Later he married Sarah Kiser, daughter of Peter Kiser and Fanny Garmon.[2]
[edit] Further Information
American Society of Mechanical Engineers History & Heritage Landmarks Page
[edit] References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ a b c d "Reed Gold Mine". North Carolina Historic Sites. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
- ^ "Antebellum Gold Mining (1820-1860)". North Carolina History Project. Retrieved on 2006-12-19.
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