NORTH_CAROLINA

WELCOME TO THE NEW

GOLD LOCATIONS IN NORTH CAROLINA

Gold was discovered in North Carolina in 1799, the first recorded discovery in the United States. Both Placer and lodes have been discovered. Today almost all of the gold production in North Carolina comes as a by product of copper and Tungsten. Around 2,000,000 ounces came from North Carolina. The biggest obstacle in North Carolina is that most of the gold locations are on private property, so you will need to work with the owners to gain permission.

Alleghaney County North Carolina

I have had some reports of placer gold in this county.

Anson County North Carolina

Most of the regional streams contain placer gold.

Ansonville - Fairview

In the Ansonville - Faiview area the regional stream gravels contain placer gold. Also there are many old lode gold mines.

Ashe County North Carolina

The best place to start looking for gold in Ashe County is in the headwaters of the New River in the south part of the county.

Gap Creek Mine

The Gap Creek Mine (aka Copper Knob Mine) produced gold as a by product of its copper mining. It is located at Gap Creek on the New River.

Ore Knob Mine

Ore Knob Mine is located east of Jefferson by 8 miles and north of Route 88 by 1 mile. The mine had an approximate production between 1855-1962 of around 9,400 ounces of gold.

Buncombe County North Carolina

Placer gold is reported in Cane Creek and the French Broad River.

Burke County North Carolina

The South Mountain Belt is one of the most productive gold mining areas of North Carolina. The gold bearing region contains about 300 square miles of land, and panning for gold can be successful in practically all of the streams of this area.

MINES

Brindleton Placer Mine - is located 13 miles southwest of Morganton in the South Mountain region. It was worked as early as 1828, and by 1916, this property had produced an estimated 50,000 ounces in gold.

Brown Mountain Mine - has gold in quartz and was very productive.

Gaithers Mine - is located 12 miles south of Morganton, it contained gold in veins and placers.

Hercules Mine - is located 12 miles north of Morganton and was a lode gold producer.

Hokes Mine - contains gold and platinum in placers.

London's Mine - was a lode gold producer.

Mills Placer Mine - is the same as Brindleton Placer Mine.

Tates Mine - contains gold in placers.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS

Baileys Creek - is located 6 miles southwest of Morganton on the road to Rutherfordton and has placer gold.

Brindleton Creek - contained numerous lode mines and prospects in creek banks.

First Broad River - on upper part of the First Broad River, placers unsuccessfully worked, 1953-1954, but may prove profitable to dredge.

Hall Creek - gravels of creek yields placer gold.

Kingy Branch - may yield placer gold.

Silver Creek - gravels of creek yields placer gold.

Upper Creek - may prove productive to a panner.

Cabarrus County North Carolina

In Cabarrus County all the regional streams and bench gravels contain some placer gold. Local inquiry may pay off.

MINES:

Allen Furr Mine - is located 23 miles east of Charlotte. It was a lode gold mine.

Barnhardt Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Barringer's Mine - started as a placer mine and was later a lode gold mine.

Blackwelders Mine - was a lode gold producer.

California Mine - had some good gold output.

Crowells Mine - was a old gold mine.

Elwood Mine - was a gold producer.

Faggart Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Fisher Mine - is located near Concord and was a good producer.

Furness Mine - was a gold with copper mine.

Harkey Mine - produced lode gold, with copper.

Long's Mine - was a gold producer.

Love Mine - was a gold producer.

Ludwick's Mine - was a gold producer.

Middle Barrier Mine - was a gold contributor.

Newell Mine - was a gold producer.

Number 3 Mine - was part of a group of mines around the Phoenix Mine that was a fairly rich gold producer.

North Barrier Mine - was a gold producer.

Nugget (Biggers) Mine - produced some large coarse gold.

Pharr Mine - has gold in veins and placers.

Phoenix Mine - was located 6 miles southeast of the town of Concord. It was discovered some time before 1856 and was worked for short intervals until 1906. The total gold production was about 19,4000 ounces.

Pioneer Mills Group of mines - was a good producer, but has not been worked since the Civil War.

Quaker City Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Reed Mine - it was the original gold discovery in the state in 1799. It had approximate total production through the 1930's of 50,000 gold ounces. In 1972, the Reed Mine was purchased by the state, they have now developed the mine into a state historic site. This mine was the site of the first authenticated discovery of gold in North Carolina. In 1799, Conrad Reed, a 12 year old boy, found a nugget of gold weighing 17 pounds in Little Meadow creek. Between 1803 and 1835 additional nuggets, weighing an aggregate 115 pounds, were found on the property. In 1831, lode deposits were discovered and were worked profitably for a few years, but for a long time the mine was idle pending the settlement of the Reed Estate. There were brief periods of activity in the 1880's and 1890's; the most recent work in the area consisted of some small scale placer operations in the mid 1930's. The largest nugget weighed 28 pounds.

Rocky River Mine - was a gold mine along the Rocky River.

South Barrier Mine - was a gold producer.

Snyder Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Tucker (California) Mine - was a lode gold mine.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Little Meadow Creek - most of this creek is owned by the state, but there are sections which is owned by private property owners that you may be able to deal with.

Rocky River - this would be my first choice of prospecting areas.

Rocky river that flows through Stanly, Cabarrus, and Union counties and all of it's tributaries contain some amount of gold in stream gravel. In many cases the gold is in clay with stream gravel in it. Some streams are mostly bedrock and are easy pickings. Best places on the river are in lower Cabarrus through Stanly county. Several 1 ounce nuggets have been found throughtout the area. I have heard stories of bigger but not from a reliable source.

Caldwell County North Carolina

Aronund Grandmothers Mountain all streams gravels have been worked for placer gold.

Hartland

Northwest of Hartland 1.5 miles the adjoining mines of Miller and Scott Hill were major producers in the area.

MINES:

Baker Mine - is located off the John's River near the mouth of Wilson's Creek. It was a good producer.

Hercules Mine - is located 12 miles north of Morganton and was a major producer of lode gold.

Little John Mine - was a placer mine and large nuggets have been found.

Miller Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Scott Hill Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Upper Creek Mine - was a gold producer.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Grandmother's Mountain - around Grandmother's Mountain check all stream gravels for placers gold.

John's River - may produce placer gold.

Lower Creek - there is gold in the creek and in most of its tributaries below Lenoir. Check the north side of the creek primarily.

Wilson's Creek -will yield some gold.

Caswell County North Carolina

The Carolina Igneous Belt, in Caswell and parts of the adjoining counties, is the second most important gold mining region of North Carolina. It varies from 15 to 30 mile in width. Within the Caswell County portion, there are very many old workings. All the regional stream gravels contain placer gold. The mines in the area are the probable source of the Placer told. The Counties in this belt are Caswell, Guilford, Davidson, Rowan and Mecklenburg. The most productive lode mines were in the other counties, but good placer is in Caswell. You will need a geologic map to follow this Igneous Belt.

Catawba County North Carolina

The area around Hoopers Quarry, you can find gold, with calcite, grahite and pyrite.

MINES:

A. D. Shuford's Mine - was worked by dragline scraper. It is located 4 1/2 miles slightly southeast from Catawba Station and 6 miles west of Sherrill's Ford. It was a placer mine.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Newton - most of the area streams around Newton contain placer gold.

Chatham County North Carolina

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Cane Creek - may be a good creek for fine gold.

Danelly's Creek - contains gold.

Cherokee County North Carolina

Along the Valley River, several years ago, me and my friend Jim Labuz dredged with a 3" dredge with air. We found some nice gold, but we froze our ass off. We did this in early spring. I would love to go back and try this place again.

Marble

Southeast of Marble along the Valley River, in gravel deposits you can find placer gold. Northwest of Marble, in the Snowbird Mountains is the Parker Mine.

Murphy

Southeast of Murphy there were numerous mines that produced lode gold. The No. 6 mine is located here.

Unaka

East of Unaka 1.5 miles, on the road to Murphy, along Beaverdam Creek is some good placer gold.

Valleytown

All regional mountains extending from town 12 to 15 miles to Vengence Creek, along the lower slopes in creek and slopewash gravels is some placer gold. Many area prospects for placer.

Cleveland County North Carolina

MINES

Crowders Mountain Mine - was a rich producer.

The Kings Mountain Mine - is located about 2 miles south of the town of Kings Mountain, near the Gaston Cleveland County line. The lode deposits at Kings Mountain was worked intermittently from 1834 until 1895.

Long Creek Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Mountain Mine - had gold in placers.

Oliver Mine - is located on the west side of the Catawba River.

Rhodes Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Whiteside Mine - has gold in placers.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Catawba River - may prove profitable for a large dredge.

Long Creek - contains placer gold.

Davidson County North Carolina

All regional watercourse and bench gravels have placer gold possibilities. Many scattered lode mines in Davidson County.

MINES

Allen Mine - produced gold.

Brown Mine - was a gold producer.

Conrad Hill Mine - was a very rich producer. Conrad Hill was a big producer in 1832 and first discovery site of gold in Davidson County, now it is almost inaccessible with buildings in ruins.

David Beck's Mine - Produced a by product of gold.

Delk Mine - was a gold producer.

Emmons Mine - was a rich producer.

Eureka Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Flat Swamp Creek Valley Mine - was a gold producer.

Harris Mine - produced some gold.

Lalor (Allen) Mine - was a gold producer. Has gold showings on the dumps. May be good to metal detect.

Laughlin Mine - produced some gold.

Loftin Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Midway Mine - was a gold producer.

Miller Mine - was a gold producer.

Russel Mine - was a gold producer.

Silver Hill Mine - this mine produced $1 million or more in lead, silver zinc, and a little gold.

Silver Valley Mine - Produced a by product of gold.

Ward's Mine - was a gold producer.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Flat Swamp Creek - may produce for a large operation.

Yadkin River - this is definitely large dredge material.

Davie County North Carolina

Many old mines scattered throughout the county.

MINES:

Allen Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Butler Mine - is located 8 miles southwest of Mocksville and it was a lode gold mine.

County Line Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Isaac Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Franklin County North Carolina

From 1840 to 1935, placer mining was sporadic in this area. Both stream placers and saprolite deposits were worked, but scarcity of water for hydraulic mining was the main stopping feature. The total gold production is estimated at 71,000 ounces.

MINES:

Portis Mine - this mine is located .4 miles west of the Nash County line, close to Sandy Creek. It was worked between 1835-1935, total production was about $9,000,000.

Van Alston Mine - is located near Sandy Creek.

White House Mine - is located near Fishing Creek, the mine contained 613 acres. The gold is in residual soils and gravel beds.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Fishing Creek - contains gold.

Sandy Creek - contains gold.

Gaston County North Carolina

Mines:

Beattie Mine - had some gold production.

Cansler Mine - had some gold production. Large nuggets have been found in this area.

Cannon mine - produced some gold.

Derr Mine - had some gold production.

Duffie Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Farrar Mine - had some gold production.

High Shoals Mine - was a gold producer.

Kings Mountain Mine - is located about 2 miles south of the town of Kings Mountain, near the Gaston-Cleveland County line. The lode deposit at Kings Mountain was worked intermittently between 1834 and 1895.

Long Creek Mine - was a lode gold mine.

McLean (Rumfeldt) Mine - is located 16 miles southwest of Charlotte.

Puett Mine - is located 18 miles southwest of Charlotte and was a lode gold mine.

Rhodes Mine - is located 18 miles southwest of Charlotte and was a lode gold mine.

Rumfeldt Mine - is located 15 miles southwest of Charlotte.

Sloan Mine - was a gold producer.

Smith Mine - was a gold producer.

A. D. Sufford Mine - large nuggets have been found at this site.

Wells Mine - was a gold producer.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Catawba River - contains placer gold.

Club's Mountain - in area stream gravels, placer gold is known to exist.

Crowders Mountain - area has had many productive placers operations.

Granville County North Carolina

MINES:

Blue Wing Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Buckeye Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Copper World Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Gillis Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Holloway Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Mastodon Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Pool Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Royster Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

Yancy Mine - was a lode gold, with copper mine.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Oxford Area - gold in many streams.

Sassafras Fork - there is placer gold in this area.

Young's Crossroads Area - there is placer gold in this area.

Guilford County North Carolina

Guilford County has been a producer in the past, but most of the gold came from lode mines. There has been reports of placers below the gold mines, so this may be of interest to the panner.

MINES:

Beard Mine - was a gold producer.

Deep River Mine - was a gold mine.

Fentress Mine - is located about 9 miles south of Greensboro. The mine is located on a quartz vein traceable for over 3 miles. It was a producer of lode gold and copper.

Fisher Hill Mine - is located about 5 miles Southwest of Greensboro. It was a lode gold mine that produced lode gold with pyrite.

Gardner Hill Mine - is located about 8 miles southwest of Greensboro. The mine is a lode mine, with lode gold and copper, but there are stream gravel placers in the area of the mine.

Harland Mine - was a gold producer.

Heath Mine - was a gold producer.

Hodges Hill Mine - is located about 6 miles southeast of Greensboro. It was a lode gold with copper mine.

Jacks Hill mine - about 11 miles southwest of Greensboro and 2 miles south of Jamestown, lode gold.

Lindsay mine - about 11 miles southwest of Greensboro and 2 miles south of Jamestown, abandon in the 1880's, lode gold.

Millis Hill mine - about 6 miles south southwest of Greenville, lode gold, pyrite.

North State (McCullough) mine - about 2.5 miles south of Jamestown, on the north side of route 29, lode gold, copper.

Pine Hill mine - produced lode gold.

Puckey mine - produced lode gold.

Twin Hill mine - about 6 miles southeast of Greenville, lode Gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Southwest part of county - produced approximately 12,000 ozs. of lode gold from 1851-1883.

Area streams around lode mines - many of the area streams yield placer gold.

Halifax County North Carolina

MINES:

Davis Mine - was a lode gold producer.

H and H Mine - 1940-57, lead, silver, zinc and by product gold was produced at this mine. This mine is the same as the House Mine.

House Mine - 1940-57, lead, silver, zinc and a by product gold was produced here. This is sometimes called the H and H Mine.

Kearney Mine - produced lode gold-.

Mann Mine - produced lode gold.

Taylor Mine - produced lode gold.

Thomas Mine - produced lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Near Ransom's Bridge - gold in placers.

Hollister area, southeast of Hollister 4.2 miles and southwest of Ringwood 4.2 miles, are several mines that produced lode gold. I have been told placer gold can be found downstream from the mines.

Henderson County North Carolina

Southwest of Asheville 12 miles and west of Boylston Creek, on south slope of Forge Mountain is the location of the Boylston Mine. This mine was worked in 1880's and again in 1935 for lode gold.

Jackson County North Carolina

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Cashiers Valley Area in the area stream gravels you can find placer gold.

Fairfeild you can find gold in places.

Georgtown you can find gold in places.

Hogback, in the area of Chimney Top Mountains, regional stream gravels contain placer gold. Along the slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains you can find gold in placers.

Lee County North Carolina

San Lee Park, location can be reached by taking State Route 1521 from Sanford and turning right on the Pumping Road. Gold nuggets occur in the creek that flows out of the reservoir at the Sanford water works and pumping station northeast of Sanford. Many people have panned gold in this creek. The largest nuggets found are about twice the size of an average pinhead. I went down there and sampled micro gold in astream in the park. They allow panning and maybe sluicing. Traced gold up to where old timers used mercury on some of the trails up in the woods.

Lincoln County North Carolina

MINES:

Graham Mine - is located 4 miles northeast of Iron Station and produced lode gold, copper.

Hope Mine - is located near Lincolnton and produced lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Cottage Home - gold, diamonds. Gold occurs in placers and veins.

Macon County North Carolina

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Cowee Creek - The area around Franklin, north 6 miles, in the Cowee Valley, take Routes 23-141 north for 3 miles, turn northwest on Route 28 about 4 miles into sign posted mining district, and up Cowee Creek past the Cowee Baptist Church, many area mines for gemstones (a fee is charged to collectors at most mines), on dumps of these mines you can find gold bearing minerals, often collectors' specimens.

Madison County North Carolina

Warm Springs - gold can be found in veins and placers.

McDowell County North Carolina

Gold occurs in placers in the McDowell belt which has a width of about 2 miles, with Hunt's Mountain and Nichol's Mountain for it's center. It is situated on the head water of North Muddy Creek and of the Second Broad River and for the most part to the east of the road from Marion to Rutherfordton. The largest nuggets found in the South Mountain area have been found in a gulch on the western slope of Huntsville Mountain and had a weight of 5 pounds.

MINES:

Marion Bullion Company Mine - This mine produced copper, lead, zinc with a by product of gold, with platinum and diamonds .

Sprouse Mine - operated from 1885-1935, and produced lode gold. The area stream gravels and slopewash deposits produce placer gold.

Vein Mountain Mine - a series of 13 parallel quartz veins crossing Vein Mountain in .25 mile wide belt had extensive area placer operations prior to 1908. The Nichols Vein, was large and productive for lode gold, copper.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Glade Creek - all gravels produce placer gold with platinum.

Hunt's Mountain - area stream gravels produce placer gold with platinum.

Second Broad River - at Glenwood (south part of county), south 5 miles, on the Second Broad River, the Vein Mt. Mine, a series of 13 parallel quartz veins crossing Vein Mountain in .25 mile wide belt the area had extensive operations prior to 1908. The Nichols Vein, large and productive for lode gold, copper. The Second Broad River also produces placer gold.

South Muddy Creek - all gravels of the creek produce placer gold, platinum. South Muddy Creek crossing of Route 26, in stream gravel deposits contains rich placer gold, with diamonds .

North Muddy Creek - all gravels of the creek produce placer gold, platinum.

Mecklenburg County North Carolina

In Charlotte, within the city limits, 1 mile southwest of intersection of Trade and Tryon Streets, you can find placer gold.

MINES:

Capps Mine - was famed for quality and amount of ore. It was a lode gold mine.

Clark Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Gibson Mine - was a lode goldmine.

Hopewell Mine - along with several other nearby mines produced lode gold, with pyrite and copper.

Kerns Mine - along with several other nearby mines produced lode gold, with pyrite and copper.

McGinn Mine - produced lode gold.

Rudisil Mine - the principal gold producers (along with the St. Catherine Mine) in Mecklenburg County, are in the city of Charlotte about half a mile apart on opposite ends of the same vein. The Rudisil mine, discovered in l829, produced $30,000 in gold during 1 month in 1830, thereafter, ownership of the property changed several times. The mine operated from 1840 until the outbreak of the Civil War, from 1880 to 1887, and from 1905 to 1908. In 1934 the mine was pumped out, reopened, and was productive through 1937. It was idle again from 1937 through 1959. Total gold production from these two mines was probably not less than 60,000 ounces. The country rock at the Rudisil mine is granite and schist. The ore is in pockets in two quartz veins known as the "back vein" and the "front vein". These veins follow approximately the granite schist contact and are cut by several diabase dikes. The ore bodies consist chiefly of intensity fractured pyrite and quartz and are located at places where the veins flatten operated 1829-1938, producing over $1,000,000

St. Catherine Mine - see Rudisil Mine.

Stephen Wilson Mine - was a lode gold producer.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Capp's Hill, placer gold can be found in this area.

Davidson College, you can find gold, agate 5 miles south at D. Caldwell's.

Near Steele Creek Church - you can find gold, in placers and veins.

Todd's Branch - you can find gold and diamonds.

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

A total of around 50,000 ounces of gold was produced in Montgomery County, largely from two mines discovered in 1900 in the eastern part of the county. In the extreme northwest corner of the county there were many regional mines. The Bright, Ophir, Dry Hollow, Island Creek, Deep flat, Spanish Oak Gap, Pear Tree Hill, Tom's Creek, Harbin's, Bunnell Mountain, Dutchman's Creek and the Worth Mines all played an important part in the states mining history.

Very little mining was done during the Civil War with only one mine in operation in Montgomery County at the close of the conflict. Manpower was short. Men were away at war and those left at home were forced to take care of the farms in order to raise food for the table. In 1891, unofficially, there were 35 mines in operation, but a short while later, in 1896, the N.C. Geographical Survey named 18 mines in use.

Much of the information on gold mining in Montgomery County is a compilation of sketches and facts on the old mines where today rotting timbers and over grown sites still speak of the "better days".

Beaver Dam Creek

At the beaver Dam Creek junction with the Yadkin river, northeast 2 miles is the Beaver Dam Mine. It produced free gold with pyrite.

Candor

West of Candor by 2.5 miles is the Montgomery Mine which was a lode mine. West of Candor by 3 miles is the Iola Mine, which produced gold out of a pyrite ore.

Eldorado

Many of the old mines in this area produced silver, copper, zinc and a by product of gold. North of Eldorado 1.5 miles is the Coggins Mine. It produced lode gold. East of Eldorado is the Eldorado Mine, which produced lode gold with silver and pyrite. Southeast of the Eldorado 2 miles on the east side of the Uwharrie River is an old lode mine. East 3 miles is the Riggon Hill Mine. North 3 miles, near the Randolph county line, is the Russell Mine. It is accessible from Eldorado and had a total production of around 15,000 ounces of gold. South of Eldorado by 8 miles is the Moratock Mine, which produced gold with copper.

Ophir

West of Ophir 3 miles, along the Uwharrie river is the Steel Mine. The mine is now nearly inaccessible and the 1832 structures are in total ruins.

Star

West of Star 3 miles, is the Carter Mine, which is one of the oldest in the state.

Troy

Northeast of Troy 14 miles is the Black Ankle Mine.

Wadeville

West of Wadeville, to within 3 miles of junction of routes 24 and 27, is the Sam Christian Mine. This mine had native gold and produced many large nuggets.

Uwharrie River

Reported by: Ronald Reeves

A large number of the creeks in the area of Eldorado, North Carolina all of which produce gold. This community is located on highway 109 between the towns of Denton and Troy. A lot of the land is private, but anyone can pan or sluice in the area there known as Uwharrie National Forest. Also one can dredge in the Uwharrie River on both sides of the highway 109 bridge so long as you do not get onto the National Forest part.

MINES

Beaver Dam Mine - at the Beaver Dam Creek junction with the Yadkin River, northeast 2 miles, is the location of the Beaver Dam Mine which produced free gold, with pyrite. Beaver Dam Mine produced gold in placers. The Beaver Dam Placer, near the Flagtown Post Office, near corner of Montgomery County produced placer gold.

Black Ankle Mine - The Black Ankle Mine, 11 miles northeast of Troy and 4 miles north of Ether, was not discovered until 1828 but operated intermittently until a few years ago. Edward Hedreck, the owner in 1935, reported a total production of $15,000 or about 750 ounces. The workings comprise a pit 225 feet long, 120 feet wide and 50 feet deep, a shaft 112 feet deep in the pit and a shallow shaft sunk in the bottom of the pit. The ore body as a whole is of low grade, though its gold content is not actually known. Treatment of the material by washing, amalgamation, cyanidation and other methods has recovered on the average only a few cents to the ton. Considerable gold is said to have been lost owing to its extremely fine subdivision and slime produced by a clay like saprolite substance.

Bright Mine - The Bright was located on the West flank of Uwharrie Mountains.

Bunnell Mountain Mine - The Bunnell Mountain Placer was located on the west flank of Uwharrie Mountains.

Buck Mountain Gold Property - is 7 miles west of Troy and about a quarter of a mile from the Uwharrie River. Two quartz veins, 25 to 30 ft. wide, cut across the property and are exposed in the side of Buck (or Gold Mountain) which rises nearly 200 ft. above the surrounding country. Panning tests of the surface mantel over an area of 50 acres below the outcrops of veins showed from two or three colors to a pennyweight of gold to the pan. All the gold was rough, a fact which indicated that it had been moved but a short distance. Below the outcrop of the vein on Buck Mountain, fragments of quartz that showed free gold were picked up.

Carter mine - West of Star 3 miles, is the Carter Mine (one of oldest in state), which produced lode gold. Located about 3 miles east of Troy, the Carter mine is described as being on a vein that contained much lime carbonate and a rare "telluride" of gold. The mine is said to have produced $100,000 or more from workings less than 100 ft. deep. Gold bearing quartz was found in a vein that averaged 3 ft. in width and contained some very rich streaks. Rock found on the dumps in 1934 included a "sugar" vein quartz. "From the bed of the Uwharrie River, more pure gold was found within one mile than anywhere in the state. Two blasts were made, not more than thirty feet deep, and two thousand dollars worth of pure gold nuggets were quickly gathered, not including that scattered by the blast. The most important enterprise in Montgomery County was that of the N.C. Gold Mining and Bullion Company of New York. Their largest investment was in Montgomery County near the present village of Eldorado on the Uwharrie River. Being their richest investment and their urgent need for capital stock was placed on the market at ten dollars a share. A person could send two dollars and pay the remainder in thirty days. With each share a plot of land 25 by 100 ft. was given as a "mining claim". The work of this vast development was to be done with a Bennett Amalgamator. This method was to be a very conservative processing method. The amalgamator was to cost approximately $8,000 delivered to the river. Labor was advertised to be very cheap and plentiful. Day laborers could be obtained at 7 cents per day and skilled workmen from one to two dollars per day. The largest nugget found in the Uwharrie section, which weighed 11 pounds was picked up by Nelson Russell. The nugget was two thirds pure gold. After the discovery of the Saunders Mine in 1890, many people came from California to the Uwharrie section, buying what they could of it. Most of the claims were owned by the people there and were to begin operation in the spring of that same year. Within 15 months, $50,000 worth of gold was taken from this section by natives alone, using the very crudest machinery." (Excerpt from Greensboro Daily News, Dec. 8, 1957 by Larry Long).

Coggins (Appalachian) Mine - In the Eldorado area there are many area old mines that produced a by product gold with silver, copper, zinc. The old Coggins Gold Mine, once the site of bustling and hustling activity, today is but a ghost town, a shadowed reminder of its former existence when men dug for gold, talked of gold and even fought for gold. One can almost hear voices echoing from the past, mingled with the present quiet and disturbed only by an occasional drone of an automobile passing nearby. Only two weathered wooden houses remain beneath the trees, enclosed in a prison of thick undergrowth and trees, and nearby the curbing of the "community well" that served the families still stakes a claim on its original site like a silent sentinel. At the turn of the century on a nearby lot stood the blacksmith shop where the anvils rang out with pounding hammers and perhaps curious children lingered near or peeped inside the door, often being entertained with tales told by the Blacksmith. A few hundred feet away crouched the company store, once the meeting place for miners who tramped in and out for household staples. Across the road the music of pounding hammers and buzzing saws echoed through the carpenter shop. A little further up the road, on the left hand side, the boxy wooden hotel was home for numerous laborers employed in the mine. Today timbers that once were staunch supports for the stamp mill have tumbled into splintered decay. In the old days of mining activity, two boilers operated by steam provided energy to convey heavy buckets of ore and dirt down into the mill, and only recently the machinery for stamping the ore was removed by the owners. The small boarded Assay office today still claims many items used in the early days for determining value of the gold. Not too far away, over near Ophir Church, Will Davis is said to have operated the Cooper Shop where wooden barrens were made. Dr. Henry Bowman, industrial doctor for the mine, provoked medical watch care for employees as well as their families, and many times Dr. Shamburger, Dr. Daligny and Dr. Thompson made house calls to the mining section of Coggins Mine community. This was a self-contained world. Here the earth gave up its treasure to men who dug deep to disturb her treasures. Here women tended the house, took care of the cows and chickens and tilled the gardens. Here children laughed and played and grew into teenagers. The Coggins Mine has been operated intermittently since its discovery in 1886. From unpublished manuscripts as well as published reports, the workings were 50 ft. deep in 1886, and a 40-stamp mill was built in 1887. In 1890, the mine was 200 ft. deep, and in 1911 development work began by the Whitney Company who installed a 40-ton Lane mill. At that time the shaft was 226 ft. deep and the drifts were 660 ft. in length. That same year a report stated that $4,820 in gold was recovered from 1,698 tons of ore by amalgamation, an average of $2.84 per ton. On the 200 ft. level, engineers obtained values of $18-$25 per ton for a width of 16 to 20 feet. It was estimated that most of the rich gold deposits were extracted during a period of activity lasting from 1922 to 1925 in which a 50-stamp mill was operated. The mine was shut down in 1926, but early in the summer of 1934 it was temporarily unwatered by John M. Rogers for the purpose of sampling. If a substantial part of the assay value as indicated by samples of surveys was recovered, the total yield of this body must have been at least $1,000,000 (5,000 ounces), according to files of the D. H. Hill Library on the U.N.C. at Raleigh campus.

Deep Flat Mine - was an old lode gold mine.

Dry Hollow Mine - was an old lode gold mine.

Dutchman's Creek Mine - was a lode mine.

Eldorado Mine - the Eldorado Mine produced lode gold, with silver and pyrite.

Golconda Mine - Development work was done as late as the period 1904-1910 at the Golcanda mine located half a mile northeast of the Uwharrie with workings described as including a shaft 150 ft. deep with several levels that explore a vein 4 ft. wide. The vein apparently lies east of the projected course of the Iola mine, and materials on the mine dumps indicate that the country rock is similar to that of the nearby Iola mine. A 30 1/2 ton lot of ore yielded 15.1 ounces of gold but records state that about $5 per ton was lost in the tailings.

Grandman Mine - 4 miles southwest of Ophir, was an old lode mine.

Harbin's Mine - At the Harbin placer mine, located about 2 miles southeast of the Morratock mine, old workings disclose 2 to 6 ft. of gold bearing stream alluvium in a small valley and on a low bordering terrace.

Iola mine - The Iola and Uwarra mines, in eastern Montgomery County 2 miles west of the town of Candor, exploited the same vein. They were discovered in 1900 and are among the more recent gold discoveries in the Piedmont. By 1915, the Iola had produced $900,000 (about 45,000 ounces) and the Uwarra, $100,000 (about 5,000 ounces) in gold. Operations were suspended in 1916, and the properties remained idle through 1959. Ore deposits are along the contact of the Cretaceous Coastal Plain sediments with the metamorphosed tuffs, flows, and breccias of the Paleozoic(?) volcanic rocks of the Carolina slate belt. The deposits are in narrow veins, in siliceous pyritic zones in schist, and in groups of stringer veins. Most of the ore came from the Iola vein, which was worked for 2,000 feet along its strike. The ore contained very few sulfides and was free milling. Located near Candor and Bridges Creek. Some reports today say that peach orchards planted over parts of this mine have responded to the soil and mineral content, producing fine crops of peaches. The Iola Mine, according to a Greensboro Daily News story on Dec. 8, 1957 written by Larry Long of Candor, was the property of the Iola Mining Co. of Baltimore, incorporated in 1901-1903. The company was authorized to issue $1,000,000 worth of stock at five dollars par value, the company owning 55 acres of land. "The mill comprises a twenty stamp battery, rock breaker with one hundred horse power engine, one 100 horse power and two 60 horsepower boilers, two hoisting engines, one air compressor, three air drills, electric light plant and a commissary paying profits from two hundred to two hundred fifty dollars per month. When the shaft was only two hundred feet deep in 1904, one hundred sixty thousand dollars worth of gold was taken from the mine. The estimated amount of ore in sight at the fifth level was ninety one hundred tons. While the mine was operating with a ten stamp mill, the capacity of Dec. 1903 was six thousand dollars net profit. In the 1903 report from G.W.Lehmann and Son, chemist & Consulting Expert, it was stated: 'We consider the Iola Mine one of the most promising and valuable free milling gold propositions we have examined in the South, and feel fully justified in recommending it for consideration of the investigating public. Today the Iola Mine is completely abandoned. It is located on property which belongs to Joe D. Steed, Sr. and R.H. Lassiter of Candor. An interesting story is told of the Iola Mine's superintendent prior to the Civil War. Thomas T. Echhert, who was a famous telegrapher with the Pittsburgh & Chicago Branch Line of the Union Telegraph Co. before coming South to work in the mine. Under his supervision the enterprise prospered, and during this period of time, one of his employees in the mine was Amos Clodfelter (father of W.A. Clodfelter). When the Civil War broke out, Mr. Eckert felt it his duty to serve the North, so he went back to New York and was assigned the job of being Superintendent of Military Telegraphy. He became Brigadier General of the Volunteers but later was made Assistant Secretary of the War. In the meanwhile, Mr. Clodfelter had joined the Southern cause and fought his way to Gettysburg where he was captured, but the story goes that when Clodfelter was imprisoned at Elmira, N.Y., he learned of his friend Eckert's new duties and contacted him. Old friendships were renewed and Clodfelter was given passage to another prison nearer home in North Carolina. His family was not sure but they thought it was in Lexington or Thomasville.

Island Creek Mine - was an old lode gold mine.-

Martha Washington Mine -The Martha Washington mine was still in operation on Sept. 7, 1934 under a firm in Hartford, Conn. Paul Gerdhardt reported a 3 ft. vein of 16.00 ore on Martha Washington incline shaft.

Montgomery Mine - 2.5 miles west of Candor, the Montgomery mine produced lode gold.

Moratock Mine - South of Eldorado by 8 miles, the Moratock Mine produced gold, copper.

Morris Mountain Mine - is a lode gold mine.

Ophir Mine - is a lode gold mine.

Palmer mine - is a lode gold mine.

Pear Tree Hill mine - is a lode gold mine.

Riggon Hill Mine - East of Eldorado 3 miles is the Riggon Hill Mine which produced lode gold;

Russell Mine - near Ophir, the Russell Mine, is accessible from Eldorado, had a total production of around 15,000 ounces of lode gold. See also the Steel mine. This mine includes several open pits and underground workings that attain a depth of 200 ft. or more. The largest pit, "Big Cut", is about 300 ft. long, 150 ft. wide and 60 ft. deep. As a whole, material excavated from this pit is said to have averaged $2 to the ton in gold. The entire mass is gold bearing but only certain parts of it are rich enough to work, and even these parts are of low grade except for rich seams which appear and disappear abruptly. Ore is difficult to distinguish from waste, visually. The total production of the mine is reported to have exceeded $300,000

Sally Coggins Mine - This mine, like the Coggins, Steele and Russell mines, is located in northwestern Montgomery County near Eldorado. The main opening is an open-cut in a hillside. It is about 75 ft. long and 30 ft. wide and the back of it rises 35 ft. from the surface of standing water. The submerged part is said to be at least 35 ft. deep, and below this is a 60 ft. shaft. Northeast of this cut are old hydraulic pits and open workings, and about 150 ft. northwest of the cut, a ledge known as the "West Lead" crops out. From notes in the Engineering and Mining Journal issues for April, May, June and December 1896 it appears that both a hydraulic plant and a 10-stamp mill were operated in this time period and that a belt 50 ft. wide was washed, yielding 30 cents per cubic yard. Milling done at various times between 1906 and 1916 produced a total of $2,477 gold or about 123.5 ounces.

Sam Christian Mine - from Wadeville, west to within 3 miles of junctions of Routes 24 and 27, the Sam Christian Mine produced native gold (notable for large nuggets). Sam Christian Mine produced gold in placers, very large nuggets. This mine has gained something of a reputation for large and fine nuggets. The gold is found in old "channels", in gravel of a thickness of one to 3 feet and deeply covered with soil. The gold is rarely found in dust, but generally in nuggets of from 5 Dwts. to 1000 Dwts. The tract contains 1286 acres and has been worked in two places: Dry Hollow and the old Sam Christian Cut. Other channels are also known. The mine is 190 feet above the adjacent watercourses. The Yadkin River at Swift Island Ford are 3 miles away. The Sam Christian mine, located near Swift Island about 8 miles south of Morrowtock in the area of Shelter Mt., is mentioned in the following account of Mt. Gilead history: 1867-68 Christian mine operated by Sam Christian. 1872-Not in operation. 1890-Sam Christian mine in charge of a London company. 1896-Sam Christian mine owned by J.A. McAuley of Mt. Gilead. Gold was reportedly mined an a very small scale as early as 1785 near crossroads and Pekin in the lower section of Montgomery County, though no notes have been located to verify this fact. Located 4.5 miles west of Wadeville, the Sam Christian Mine was worked intermittently for several years and yielded many nuggets. This mine has been owned by many different men. It was operated for a time by hydraulic methods with water pumped from the nearby Yadkin River. The deposits of this mine consist of alluvium in former stream channels.

Sedberry Mine - was a lode mine.

Spanish Oak Gap Mine - was a lode mine.

Star Mine - was a lode mine

Steel mine - West of Ophir by 2-3 miles, along the Uwharrie River is the location of the Steele Mine (now nearly inaccessible, and 1832 structures in total ruins). It was a lode gold mine. The early history of this lode mine is obscure. Gold was discovered at the Steel mine about 1832, but no information concerning time of its discovery at the Russell site could be found. Both the Russell and the Steel mines have been idle for a long time. The buildings were in ruins and the workings were inaccessible at the time they were visited. Production data are fragmentary and are based on estimates. Total production of the Russell mine is estimated at about $3000,000 (about 15,000 ounces) in gold. Production data of the Steel mines is available only for 1887, when $150,000 (about 7,500 ounces ) in gold was produced. The country rock in the vicinity of the argillaceous slate, but according to some it is silicified schist. At the Russell mine the ore occurs in silicified and pyritized zones in the country rock. At least six such zones have been worked successfully by open cuts. At the Steel mine ore consists of thin seams of free gold, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and pyrite. These seams are conformable with the slaty cleavage or schistosity. Gold is said to have been discovered here about 1832, and the mine appears to have been worked extensively before 1853. However, its history during the intervening period is not known. Someone said that at this mine, gold digging amounted to mania for farmers were locating gold in almost every hill. In 1876 the property was purchased by an English company, and from then on until 1884 the ore was treated in Chilean mills. Notes in mining journals for 1886 and 1887 tell of the repairing of old shafts and building of a new mill containing at first 20 stamps and later 40 stamps. One shaft was 135 ft deep. The reported production during 1887 was $150,000. Assays of ore taken from rich seams ranged from 20 to several hundred ounces of gold to the ton, and the ore from a a few assayed more than 100 ounces of silver per ton. There is no record of any considerable activity at this mine since 1888. However, as late as 1934 a mill containing 10 stamps, a boiler, an engine, a roaster and other accessories remained on the going to ruin, standing as a reminder possessed men.

Swift Island Mine - large nuggets have been found on this property but it was quickly worked and now considered barren.

Tebe Saunders Mine - is located on Worth Creek. Richest in ore in 1888. An item appearing in a 1932 copy of the Greensboro Daily News stated that in a report on the Sanders Mine, a total of $20,000 was worked in a single day.

Tom's Creek Mine - Tom's Creek Placer, on Tom's Creek, in the west flank of Uwharrie Mountains.

Troy mine - is 6 miles north of Troy.

Uwarra mine - See also Iola Mine. This mine, as is the Iola, lies about 2 miles west of Candor. From 1901 until 1916 it is estimated that these two mines produced $1,000,000 in gold of which $900,000 came from the Iola mine. There is a recorded production of $93,904 from the Uwarra for the last period of operation 1914-1916. This mine produced substantially before 1914. There appear to be no authentic record of developments after this date since the mine survey plats and records are said to have been destroyed by fire. In the Uwarra property the vein has been explored to a depth of 400 ft. and has drifted on for a considerable distance. At the 225-foot level a "blind" vein known as the Montgomery vein was found. During the last period of operation, the yearly average recovery from ore milled ranged from 0.165 to 0.215 ounce of gold to the ton. As the ore was almost free from sulfides and was entirely free milling, it was very successfully treated by the cyanide process.

Worth Mine - very rich mine, near the Sanders Mine.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Burnett Mountain - gold can be found in placers.

Tom's Creek - gold can be found in placers.

Uwarra River - gold can be found in placers.

Moore County North Carolina

MINES:

Bell Mine - produced lode gold.

Brown Mine - on the northwest edge of the District on the road from Moffitt's to Richardson's Mill, produced lode gold.

Burns Mine - .5 miles south of the Cagle Mine.

Cagle Mine - 3 miles southeast of Brown Mine and near the east edge of belt on the east side of Cabin Creek.

Clegg Mine - .25 miles west of the Cagle Mine on the west side of Cabin Creek. The gold worked by open cuts can be picked and shoveled out.

Grampusville Mine - 3 miles southwest of the Bell.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Cabin Creek - west side of Cabin Creek. The gold worked by open cuts can be picked and shoveled out. Gold occurs in veins and placers. The Huronian Belt, gold ore occurs in 2 belts, one 10 miles northwest of Carthage and 1/4 mile west of Red Sandstone. The second is 8 miles further west in the Northwest part of the County and is probably connected with the most eastern of the Montgomery county belts.

Nash County North Carolina

MINES:

Arrington Mine - in Nash Co. 1 mile southeast of the Portis Mine. The mine tract comprises nearly 2,000 acres of land extending 2 or 3 miles down Fishing Creek. It was a lode gold mine.

Conyer's Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Davis Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Kerney Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Mann Mine - was a lode gold mine.

Mann-Arrigton (Argo) Mine - in the northeast corner of Nash Co. At Argo P.O., 5 miles southeast of Ransom's Bridge. Also accessible from Aventon, last worked in 1894 but with depth explorations in 1930's for lode gold. I have found gold in placers in several of the streams and gulches surrounding this mine back in 1987, but I think some of the area may have changed since then. If I remember right, there was a sub division being constructed close to the creek I was panning in.

Nick Arrington - is twelve miles east of the Portis Mine and produced lode gold.

Portis Mine - on dumps, gold showings and gold in placers. The Portis Mine is in the northeast corner of Franklin Co., quite near to both Nash and Warren counties. It is situated on a hill 108 feet above Shocco Creek, from which water for hydralic work is obtained.

Taylor Mine - is a lode gold mine.

Thomas Mine - 1.5 miles northeast of Ransom Bridge and produced lode gold.

Tom Arrington Mine - gold in placers at this mine.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Fishing Creek - downstream from the old mines you can find gold. It is in a clay type deposit.

Peach Tree Creek - The gold area extends from the Thomas Mine to the southeast beyond Peach Tree Creek and nearly to Tar River.

Shocco Creek - The Portis Mine, in the northeast corner of Franklin Co., quite near to both Nash and Warren counties. It is situated on a hill 108 feet above Shocco Creek, from which water for hydralic work is obtained.

Tar River - Near Springhope, on Tar River considerable surface washing has been done and a large amount of gold extracted.

Orange County North Carolina

MINES:

Robeson Mine - Northwest of Chapel Hill by 12 miles, is the Robeson Mine. It was a major gold producer discovered in 1890, now wholly abandoned. It produced lode gold in quartz veins.

Person County North Carolina

Person County is part of the Carolina Slate Belt, includes sections of adjacent counties, very many once rich mines shown on quadrangle maps. You can find lode gold and placers.

MINES:

Dillahays Mine - Gold in radiated quartz.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Woodsdale - Gold in placers and veins.

Polk County North Carolina

MINES:

Davis Mine - produced lode gold.

Double Branch Mine - an important early producer of lode gold,

Morris Mine - produced lode gold.

Red Spring Mine - produced lode gold, copper, pyrite.

Smith Mine - produced lode gold, copper, pyrite.

Splawn Mine - produced lode gold, copper, pyrite.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Hungary River - gold in placers.

Pacolet River -- gold in placers.

Randolph County North Carolina

MINES

Alfred Mine - had open cuts for gold, pyrite.

Hoover Hill Mine - about 17 miles southeast from High Point, on the waters of the Uwharrie River and on the west flank of the North extension of the Uwharrie Mountains. This was the principal gold producer in Randolph County and was about 12 miles west northwest of Asheboro, on the east side of the Uwharrie River. The lode deposit was discovered in 1848 and was worked for several years by lessees, a practice which inhibited its development. In 1881, the Hoover Hill Gold Mining Co., Ltd., of London, gained control of the mine, and in the following 14 years a total of $300,000 in gold was extracted. The mine was inactive from 1895 to 1914. Small-scale activity was reported in 1914 and again in 1917, after which the property was closed and remained so through 1959. Total gold production was about $350,000 (about 17,000 ounces). The deposit is in a dark-gray rhyolite and flow breccia of Paleozoic(?) age in the sequence of sedimentary and pyroclastic rocks in the slate belt. The ore bodies occur in northeastward-trending zones interlaced with quartz seams which contain free gold and a very small amount of sulfide.

Jones (Keystone) Mine - produced native gold, with pyrite.

Kinley mine - produced lode gold.

Parish Mine - produced lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Pilot Knob -area you can find gold in placers.

Uwharrie River - contains placer gold.

Rockingham County North Carolina

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Smith River - placer gold can be found 2 miles east of Moreheads factory.

Rowan County North Carolina

MINES:

Barnhardt Mine - produced lode gold.

Barringer Mine - produced lode gold.

Bullion Mine - 1.5 miles east of the Reimer, little worked, more as traces of gold in a quartz outcrop. Produced free gold.

Dunns Mt. Mine - 3.5 miles east of Salisbury Mine, produced lode gold, with pyrite.

Dutch Creek Mine - produced native gold, with pyrite.

Gold Hill Mine (Randolph shaft) - total production through 1935, about $1,650,000 in lode gold.

Gold Knob Mine - produced lode gold.

Honeycutt Mine - produced lode gold.

Mauney Mine - produced lode gold.

Miller Mine - produced lode gold.

New Discovery Mine - produced lode gold, with pyrite.

Old Field Mine - produced lode gold.

Randolph - The shaft of the Randolph mine was 820 feet deep and was one of the deepest in the Piedmont .

Reimer Mine - produced lode gold.

Troutman Mine - produced lode gold.

Union Copper Mine - produced lode gold.

Whitney Mine - produced lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Yadkin River - Contains placer gold.

Rutherford County North Carolina

MINES:

Alta Mine - in 13 parallel quartz veins this mine produced lode gold.

Ellwood Mine - produced lode gold.

Gamble Mine - a gravel mine, 2 miles southeast of The Grayson, immediately on the banks of the First Broad River. Produced placer gold.

Grayson Mine - produced placer gold, located in the gap in south mountains about 2 miles from First Broad River.

Idler Mine - produced lode gold.

J.D.Twitty Placer Mine - raw gold, nuggets, and occasional diamonds.

Lawson Mine - is a gravel mine, 1 miles north of the Grayson.

Leeds Mine - produced lode gold.

Monarch Mine - produced lode gold.

Shemwell Mine - produced arborescent gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Broad River - on divide between Cathey's Creek and the Broad River you can find placer gold.

Brindletown Creek - has placer gold, diamond.

Cathey's Creek - on divide between Cathey's Creek and the Broad River you can find placer gold.

First Broad River - in the extreme northeast part of county and just touches the border of Cleveland County you can find placer gold.

Second Broad River - at the head of it, gold in veins and placers.

Stanly County North Carolina

MINES:

Barringer Mine - site of the first gold discovery in county, produced lode gold.

Crawford Mine - was a placer gold mine.

Crowell Mine - produced free gold in pyrite.

Haithcock Mine - produced lode gold.

Hearne Mines - produced lode gold.

Ingram Mine - was a placer gold mine.

Parker Mine - located at the town of New London in northern Stanly County, was one of the first mines to be worked in North Carolina and was very productive in the years before the Civil War. Most of the gold was mined from colluvial placers, although veins were worked in later years. In the 1890's, considerable underground exploration was done with favorable results, but apparently there was no sustained production. In 1935, there was brief activity at the Parker mine when a rich pocket in a quartz vein yielded several hundred ounces of gold. This mine was long noted for its spectacularly large nuggets and had total production through 1935 estimated above 10,000 ozs. of lode gold.

Orowell Mine - produce lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Mountain Creek - West, in regional stream gravels along Mountain Creek and its tributaries (overlapping into Cabarrus Co.) you can find placer gold, with diamonds.

Rocky River

Reported By: Brian Helms

Swain County North Carolina

MINES:

Fontana Copper Mine - from 1926-44 it was operated as a copper mine with a by product of gold. It was 1,700 ft. deep.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Oconaluftee River - you can find placer gold i the Oconaluftee River.

Quallatown - you can find gold in placers in this area.

Transylvania County North Carolina

MINES:

Fairfield Valley placers - was most active in the 1800s, total production between 10,000 and 15,000 gold ozs.. The Fairfield Valley placers are in southern Transylvania County, in the northern drainage area of the Toxaway River. This area has been only briefly discussed in the published literature. Most of the production was in the 1800's. The deposits have been idle for many years.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Boyston River - gold in placers.

Georgetown Creek - south part of county, mainly along Georgetown Creek. The gravels along Georgetown Creek, one of the tributaries of the Toxaway, yielded between $200,000 and $300,000 in gold (about 10,000 to 15,000 ounces). It is reported that considerable reserves of auriferous gravels remained in the area.

Toxaway River - in north drainage. The gravels along Georgetown Creek, one of the tributaries of the Toxaway, yielded between $200,000 and $300,000 in gold grout 10,000 to 15,000 ounces. It is reported that considerable reserves of auroferous gravels remained in the area.

Union County North Carolina

MINES:

Black Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite.

Bonnie Belle Mine - produced free gold, with pyrite.

Crowell Mine - located in extreme northwest corner of county, on dumps you can find gold showings with zinc.

Crump Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. Crump Mine, is located 4 miles south from Stout's Station, on the Carolina Central Railroad. It is noted for its remarkable pockets, and splendid and peculiar nuggets, in which gold occurs.

Fox Hill Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite.

Howie Mine - 3 miles northwest of Mineral Springs, was largest mine in county, operated 1840-1942, total production estimated at 41,300 ozs. of lode gold through 1934. It was called the Condor Mine 1940-42, it was the largest gold producer in North Carolina. In all area stream, bench, and slopewash gravels you can find placer gold. On adjoining slopes, stringers in schist impregnated with fine-grained quartz bearing pyrite and gold. It was developed some time before 1840 as a consequence of placer mining in the vicinity. The lodes were quickly exploited, yielding an estimated $250,000 in 1854. After a period of idleness brought on by the Civil War, the mine was again opened in 1885 and remained active on a small scale at Intervals until 1934. No activity was reported from 1934-1959. Estimated production of the mine was about 50,000 ounces of gold.

Lemmonds (Marion) Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite

Long Mine - southwest corner of county, produced by-product gold, with copper, lead, and zinc.

Moore Hill Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. 3 miles southeast of the Long Mine.

New South Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite.

Phifer Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold.

Secrest Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold.

Smart Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold.

Washington Mine - produced free gold, with pyrite.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Rocky River

Waxhaw - located in west-central part of county, much of the area stream gravels, original placer gold discoveries extensively worked.

Warren County North Carolina

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Ransom's Bridge - In the area of Ransom's Bridge gold can be found in placers.

Watauga County North Carolina

MINES:

Hardin Mine - produced gold in placers.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Hardings Creek - Boone, area stream and bench gravel deposits, especially along Hardings Creek you can find placer gold.

Blowing Rock - area stream gravels contain placer gold.

Wilkes County North Carolina

MINES:

Flint Knob Mine - produced gold, lead, silver.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Deep Gap - East of Deep Gap by 6 miles, the Trap Hill, area of Bryan's Gap, on east face of the Blue Ridge in a bold outcrop of quartz (traceable for nearly 3 miles) you can find free gold, pyrite.

Yadkin County North Carolina

MINES:

Dixon Mine - good producer, 1894-1914--lode gold.

Gross Mine - minor producer, 1913-1914--lode gold.

SUGGESTED PROSPECTING AREAS:

Yadkinville - you can find placer gold in some of the streams in Yadkinville.

EVERYONE IS WATCHING GAS PRICES CLICK HERE FOR GAS BUDDY A COOL PLACE TO SEE THE LOWEST PRICES FOR YOUR TRIP.

IOWAGOLD MEMORIAL PAGES

OUR SITES ARE DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF SEVERAL LOST IN THE TRAVELS OF LIFE SEE OUR PAGES FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

OUR NEW SITE LINE UP

www.klimaco.com main site lot's of links and info.

www.klimaco.net our new R&D site ufo's ghost paranormal mind kontrol and more.... enter if you dare!

www.klimaco.org hot links express cool links links and more links

www.iowagold.com the main Iowa gold info page where to find gold in the USA

www.iowagold.net the Iowa gold R&D pages

www.iowagold.org links and cool gold pages plenty of pix and Iowa detector group

www.poustusa.com lot's of cool stuff here