Carolina Gold Rush Day at Reed Gold Mine March 19

CABARRUS COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - Gold mining at Reed Gold Mine was in its heyday in the 1850s. This was before the California gold rush, when gold mining in North Carolina was the place to be. In 1799, young Conrad Reed discovered a 17-pound gold nugget while fishing in Little Meadow Creek, giving rise to America’s first gold rush. Historic interpreters at Reed Gold Mine, Saturday, March 19, will recall that time.

Reed will highlight the 1850s-mining era with living history demonstrations of surface and underground mining, hands-on mining activities and other demonstrations. Costumed interpreters will show cradle and log rockers, used to sort through dirt and find large nuggets on the surface. Others will show how blasting holes were drilled and gold bearing quartz rock was removed from the mine. The California-type 10-stamp mill will show how rock was mixed with mercury to extract gold.

Gold mining began in earnest after 1802 at Reed Gold Mine, after the rock Conrad Reed brought home was determined to be gold. It had served as a doorstop for years, until a jeweler’s inspection revealed that it was gold. The mine closed during the Civil War and reopened in the 1870s. The mine closed for good in 1912 and became a state historic site in 1977.

Admission for adults is $5, tax included; and $4 tax included for ages 3 to 12; aged two and younger are free.

For additional information, please call (704) 721-4653 or email reed@ncdcr.gov. Reed Gold Mine (9621 Reed Mine Rd, Midland, N.C.) is in southeastern Cabarrus County, 12 miles southeast of Concord, 25 east of Charlotte and 18 miles west of Albemarle.

Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is closed on Sunday, Monday and on major holidays. Admission is free. Reed Gold Mine is part of the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, Division of State Historic Sites, Office of Archives and History.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.