Silver Valley, North Carolina facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Silver Valley, North Carolina
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 Silver Valley, North Carolina
Location in North Carolina
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| Country | United States |
| State | North Carolina |
| County | Davidson |
| Elevation | 732 ft (223 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1024304 |
Silver Valley is a small community in eastern Davidson County, North Carolina. It is not a city or town with its own government. Instead, it is an unincorporated community, meaning it is part of the county but not a separate municipality. You can find it along Old U.S. Highway 64 and Old North Carolina State Highway 109. It is located south of Thomasville, North Carolina and southeast of Lexington, North Carolina.
Contents
Discovering Silver Valley
A History of Shiny Metals
Silver Valley got its name because it is believed to be the place where the first silver was found in North Carolina. An old colonial road, now known as Old NC 10, used to pass right through this area.
The gold and silver found here are due to natural cracks in the Earth called geologic faults. Other gold was discovered further south, near a place once called El Dorado. This area is now part of the Uwharrie National Forest.
The Last Gold Rush
After land was set aside for Uwharrie in the 1930s, the last "gold rush" in America happened there. Even though gold and silver were found, the area never became a huge success for mining.
Around 1900, new silver discoveries in Silver Valley sparked fresh interest. A building was even constructed in nearby Thomasville to refine the silver. The High Point, Thomasville, and Denton railroad was extended to Silver Valley to help with this. The first train tracks were made of poplar logs to save money.
From Mills to Modern Life
Before the silver refinery could fully start, the silver ran out. The building was then bought by the company's accountant. It became the Amazon Cotton Mills. Later, this mill was acquired by Cannon Mills, a large textile company.
Locals called the mill "the zon." It employed many young people, some as young as 16. It even offered a special half-shift from 4 PM to 8 PM so students could work after school. Today, the mill is called Parkdale and is still in business.
Silver Valley became a place where many people lived and commuted to Thomasville for work. They found jobs in the many furniture factories and 17 cotton mills there. When these mills closed as textile and furniture production moved overseas, Silver Valley changed. It became a quieter, less defined area.
See also
In Spanish: Silver Valley (Carolina del Norte) para niños
