Reed Gold Mine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Reed Gold Mine
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| Nearest city | Concord, North Carolina |
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| Built | 1799 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000587 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Reed Gold Mine is a special place in Midland, North Carolina. It's famous because it was the first place in the United States where gold was found and mined for money. This important site is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
Contents
The Amazing Gold Discovery
Conrad Reed's Big Find
In 1799, a young boy named Conrad Reed made an incredible discovery. He was the son of John Reed, a farmer who had once been a soldier from Germany. Conrad found a shiny, heavy "rock" in Little Meadow Creek on his family's farm. This "rock" weighed a whopping 17 pounds!
For three years, this unusual rock was used as a doorstop at the Reed family home. Imagine using a huge piece of gold to hold open a door!
The True Value of the "Rock"
In 1802, a jeweler from Fayetteville finally identified the "rock." It wasn't just any rock; it was a giant gold nugget! The jeweler offered to buy it from John Reed. John didn't know how valuable gold was. He asked for $3.50, which was about a week's pay back then. The jeweler quickly agreed, knowing the nugget was actually worth around $3,600! That's a huge difference!
Mining for Gold at Reed Mine
Starting the Gold Rush
Around 1803, John Reed realized how much gold was on his land. He started a small gold mining business. Soon after, one of his workers, a man named Peter, found an even bigger nugget, weighing 28 pounds!
John Reed first used a method called placer mining. This meant looking for gold in streams and rivers, often by sifting through sand and gravel. Later, in 1831, he began underground mining, digging tunnels into the earth to find gold veins. John Reed became very wealthy from the gold found on his property. He passed away in 1845 at the age of 88.
Mining Slows Down
Mining activity at Reed Gold Mine slowed down during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Many workers and resources were needed for the war effort. The last large gold nugget found by placer mining was in 1896. The very last underground mining at the Reed Mine happened in 1912.
Because so much gold was found in North Carolina, a special building called the Charlotte Mint was built nearby in Charlotte, North Carolina. This mint was used to turn the raw gold into coins.
Visiting Reed Gold Mine Today
Today, the Reed Gold Mine is a state historic site. It's managed by the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and is open to visitors.
When you visit, you can explore a museum filled with interesting exhibits about gold mining in North Carolina. You can also walk through hundreds of feet of restored gold mine tunnels, just like the miners did long ago! It's a great way to learn about this important part of American history.
About John Reed, the Farmer Who Struck Gold
John Reed was born Johannes Reith in Germany. He was a soldier for Germany during the American Revolution. In 1782, he left the army and came to live in North Carolina.
He settled in an area that later became Cabarrus County, North Carolina, where many German families lived. He changed his name to John Reed and later married Sarah Kiser. He was just a farmer until his son's amazing discovery changed his life and started America's first gold rush!
See also
