NC Gold Origins
While the California Gold Rush is well known due to being in our history books, America's gold history didn't begin there. The first gold rush happened right here in North Carolina! California's Gold Rush expanded the colonies into the land of what we call the Continental US. North Carolina's Gold Rush is the foundation of our nation's currency.
In the late 1700s, twelve year old Conrad Reed found a 17 pound gold nugget. Used as a doorstop until a jeweler educated the Reeds on exactly what sort of treasure they had, this led to the very 1st gold rush in 1799, 50 years before California's Gold Rush began! Now, Reed Gold Mine is no longer in operation, but you can still visit the site to see a beautifully curated museum, stamp mill, and mines!
Photo credit: Google Images
The Bechtler Mint in Rutherford County minted the very first $1 gold coin 17 years before the US mint!
The gold being mined from all over the southern regions of North Carolina was being sent up to the Pennsylvania Mint. Unfortunately, robbers figured out this was the perfect time to "strike it rich" without ever striking a pickaxe. To remedy this, the Charlotte Mint was built, and now Charlotte is the second largest financial hub in the US behind New York City!
Photo credit: Google Images
This is incredible history, but not very well known unless you are a history buff or have caught the gold fever. The NC Gold Foundation's mission is to change that. That is why we are dedicated to preserving and educating about the rich gold heritage of North Carolina. The NC Gold Foundation was created on January 12, 2004 by Elizabeth McCormick, Don Markum, and Richard Buchanan sitting on a picnic table at The Lucky Strike. What they had in common? A love for gold mining and a passion for the rich gold history of North Carolina.
The very first annual NC Gold Festival was held in April of 2004. The venue for this festival has relocated twice over the years - from Tom Johnson's Camping Center (now known as Camping World), to the Mountain Gateway Museum, and finally brought home in 2018 to the donated grounds. Since the inception, the festival has educated thousands about the gold history and how to pan for gold similarly to the miners' method back in the 1800s.
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The NC Gold Festival is held annually the first weekend in June. Vendors are welcome to apply when we reopen the vendor application.
The NC Gold Foundation Board
Doug McCormick, Jr.
President
Elizabeth McCormick
Vice President | Founder
Brooke Cochran
Treasurer | Event Manager
Ray Ledford
Secretary
Melissa McCormick
Board Member
While the board members have changed throughout the last 20 years, and one of the original founding members Don Markum is no longer with us, the mission has remained the same: educate people that there's still gold in these hills! All you have to do is find it! And as Liz says, "There is a such thing as gold fever, and once you catch it, there is no cure!"