WorldWide Drilling Rescource

America’s First Gold Rush Compiled by Bonnie Love, Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® When you think about America’s Gold Rush, you probably envision the California Gold Rush of 1848. However, the country’s first recorded gold rush actually took place along a small creek in North Carolina, and it all began with a 12-year-old boy named Conrad. It was 1799, the Reed family had a farm in Cabarrus County near Little Meadow Creek. One Sunday morning, Conrad begged his parents to let him stay home from church. He wanted to go down to the creek to shoot at fish with his bow and arrow. After a lot of pleading, his parents agreed but on the condition that he include his brother and sister in his day of adven- ture. For hours, the children played, shooting at fish as they swam briskly through the creek. Then, Conrad spotted a huge catfish lying motionless on the bottom of the creek bed. As he pulled back the string on his bow to take the shot, his sister shouted for him to shoot, and he missed the fish. When he went to recover his arrow, he discovered a bright yellow rock. He picked it up and was shocked at how heavy it was. It was a very pretty rock, so the children rushed back to the house eager to show it to their parents. John, Conrad’s father, knew it was some kind of metal, but wasn’t sure what kind it was. He took it to the local silversmith, who told him although he wasn’t sure what it was, it was most likely worthless. So, the beautiful yellow rock became the family doorstop for the next three years. As luck would have it, in 1802, John was heading to Fayetteville on business, and he decided to take the 17-pound metallic yellow doorstop to a jeweler to see if he could figure out what kind of metal it was. The jeweler knew right away the rock was actually gold. He asked John to leave the nugget with him so it could be fluxed (melted down). When he came back, the jeweler showed him the nugget actually produced an eight-inch bar of gold. The jeweler bought the bar of gold for $3.50, John would later discover its true worth. He asked his son to show him where he found the nugget, and the Reeds soon began prospecting Little Meadow Creek. In 1803, John Reed began the Reed Mining Operation. Other farmers heard of Reed’s good fortune and began exploring their own creeks, and the North Carolina Gold Rush was on. In 1825, miners discovered gold was also located in veins of white quartz, which led to underground mining in the area. Reed himself began underground mining in 1831. Gold mining spread to nearby counties, and soon the state was leading the country in gold production. Other southern states also began prospecting for gold. Then in January 1848, the California Gold Rush began, and the rest is history. The Reed Mine eventually closed in 1912, but portions of the underground tunnels have been restored for guided tours. In 1990, Conrad Reed was inducted into the National Mining Hall of Fame in Leadville, Colorado. Celebrate 71 Years of CGA The California Groundwater Association is reclaiming friendships and bonds in 2019! Join us in Reno, Nevada for our 71 st Annual Trade Show and Convention ! Classes include the 2019 NGWAMcEllhiney Lecture, VFD training, OSHA refreshers, E-logging, technology for contractors, and MORE! There will be wine tasting, bowling, Reception, Silent Auction, the annual Texas Hold’em tournament, and our 71 st Annual Banquet as well. We hope you will join us. More information and online registration can be found at: www.groundh2o.org October 17 - 19 Grand Sierra Resort and Casino Reno, Nevada 43 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® OCTOBER 2019 No fee is charged for admission or tours of the Reed Mine in Midland, North Carolina. Gold panning is available April 1 through October 31, weather permitting, for a small fee. Photo Courtesy of North Carolina Historic Sites. EXB December Issue Deadlines! Space Reservation: October 25 th Display & Classified Ad Copy: November 1 st