Ophir, North Carolina
Encyclopedia
Ophir is an unincorporated community in the north central part of Montgomery County
, North Carolina
, United States
.
Ophir is approximately one (1) mile south of Randolph County
, five (5) miles southeast of Davidson County
, seven (7) miles east of Stanly County
, eleven (11)
miles west of Moore County
, and twenty-one (21) miles north of Richmond County
.
The coordinates of Ophir are 35.4779167 N latitude and -79.9789351 W longitude.
The elevation of the community of Ophir is 518 feet (157.9 m) above sea level.
, the biblical region where gold was produced for King Solomon's temple
.
The small Montgomery County
community was settled during the mid-19th century, during the gold boom in the state of North Carolina
.
Gold
Very little mining was done in Montgomery County during the Civil War
. Manpower was short. Men were away at war and those left at home were focused to take care of the farms and their families. In 1891, there were 35 mines in operation in the county, but a short while later in 1896, the N.C. Geographical Survey named only 18 mines in use. In the northwest corner of the county there were many regional mines, including several in the Ophir area. These mines all had a major impact and played important roles in the county's mining history.
The Russell Mine, one of the larger producers in Montgomery County, had a total production of around 15,000 ounces of lode gold. This mine included several open pits and underground workings that obtained a depth of over 200 ft (61 m). The largest pit, "Big Cut", is about 300 ft (91.4 m). long, 150 ft (45.7 m). wide, and 60 ft (18.3 m). deep. As a whole, material excavated from this pit is said to have averaged $2.00 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. Ore grades averaged about 3.4 grams per tonne (g/t), with higher-grade zones reported. The total production of the Russell Mine is reported to have exceeded $300,000.
The Steel Mine is located just west of Ophir along the Uwharrie River
. It was a lode gold mine. The early history of this mine is obscure. Gold was discovered at this mine around 1832. Production data are fragmentary and are based on estimates. The only year that production data is available is 1887, when $150,000 (about 75,000 ounces) in gold
was produced. The country rock in the vicinity is the argillaceous slate, but according to some it is silicified schist. 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 until 1884 the ore was treated in Chile
an mills. Notes in mining journals for 1886 and 1887 tell the repairing of old shafts and buildings of a new mill containing at first 20 stamps and later 40 stamps. One shaft was 135 ft (41.1 m). deep. Assay of ore taken from rich seams ranged from 20 to several hundred ounces of gold to the ton, and the ore from a few assayed more than 100 ounces of silver
per ton. 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 by men. Today, the Steel mine is nearly inaccessible and the 1832 structures are in total ruins.
in the Uwharrie Mountains
.There are numerous campgrounds and hiking trails, hunting and fishing spots, and recreational services nearby for the outdoorsman's comfort.
Badin Lake
and Lake Tillery
are only a few miles away, and the Uwharrie River
basically runs through it.
Montgomery County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 26,822 people, 9,848 households, and 7,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 14,145 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Location
Ophir is located on State Road 1303 (Ophir Road), with State Road 1301 (Low Water Bridge Road), State Road 1306 (Flint Hill Road), and State Road 1134 (Tower Road) junctioning within the community. Ophir is three (3) miles northeast of N.C. Hwy.109 (Montgomery County), six (6) miles southeast of N.C. Hwy 49 (Davidson County), six (6) miles west of N.C. Hwy. 134 (Montgomery County), and eight (8) miles south of N.C. Hwy. 49 (Randolph County).Ophir is approximately one (1) mile south of Randolph County
Randolph County, North Carolina
-Notable people:*Naomi Wise, murder victim*Richard Petty - Nascar driver.*Lee Petty - Nascar pioneer. Richard Petty's father.*Kyle Petty - Nascar driver. Son of Richard Petty*Adam Petty - Nascar driver. Kyle Petty's son...
, five (5) miles southeast of Davidson County
Davidson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile . There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile...
, seven (7) miles east of Stanly County
Stanly County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 60,585 people. In 2000 there were 22,223 households, and 16,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 147 people per square mile . There were 24,582 housing units at an average density of 62 per square mile...
, eleven (11)
miles west of Moore County
Moore County, North Carolina
Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of 2000, the population was 74,769. Its county seat is Carthage.- History :The county was formed in 1784 from Cumberland County...
, and twenty-one (21) miles north of Richmond County
Richmond County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 46,564 people, 17,873 households, and 12,582 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 19,886 housing units at an average density of 42 per square mile...
.
The coordinates of Ophir are 35.4779167 N latitude and -79.9789351 W longitude.
The elevation of the community of Ophir is 518 feet (157.9 m) above sea level.
History
Ophir was named after OphirOphir
Ophir is a port or region mentioned in the Bible, famous for its wealth. King Solomon is supposed to have received a cargo of gold, silver, sandalwood, precious stones, ivory, apes and peacocks from Ophir, every three years.- Citations :...
, the biblical region where gold was produced for King Solomon's temple
Solomon's Temple
Solomon's Temple, also known as the First Temple, was the main temple in ancient Jerusalem, on the Temple Mount , before its destruction by Nebuchadnezzar II after the Siege of Jerusalem of 587 BCE....
.
The small Montgomery County
Montgomery County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 26,822 people, 9,848 households, and 7,189 families residing in the county. The population density was 55 people per square mile . There were 14,145 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile...
community was settled during the mid-19th century, during the gold boom in the state of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
Gold
Very little mining was done in Montgomery County during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Manpower was short. Men were away at war and those left at home were focused to take care of the farms and their families. In 1891, there were 35 mines in operation in the county, but a short while later in 1896, the N.C. Geographical Survey named only 18 mines in use. In the northwest corner of the county there were many regional mines, including several in the Ophir area. These mines all had a major impact and played important roles in the county's mining history.
The Russell Mine, one of the larger producers in Montgomery County, had a total production of around 15,000 ounces of lode gold. This mine included several open pits and underground workings that obtained a depth of over 200 ft (61 m). The largest pit, "Big Cut", is about 300 ft (91.4 m). long, 150 ft (45.7 m). wide, and 60 ft (18.3 m). deep. As a whole, material excavated from this pit is said to have averaged $2.00 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
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
is difficult to distinguish from waste, visually. Ore grades averaged about 3.4 grams per tonne (g/t), with higher-grade zones reported. The total production of the Russell Mine is reported to have exceeded $300,000.
The Steel Mine is located just west of Ophir along the Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
The Uwharrie River is a river, about 60 mi long, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.- Course :...
. It was a lode gold mine. The early history of this mine is obscure. Gold was discovered at this mine around 1832. Production data are fragmentary and are based on estimates. The only year that production data is available is 1887, when $150,000 (about 75,000 ounces) in gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
was produced. The country rock in the vicinity is the argillaceous slate, but according to some it is silicified schist. At the Steel mine ore
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
consists of thin seams of free gold, galena
Galena
Galena is the natural mineral form of lead sulfide. It is the most important lead ore mineral.Galena is one of the most abundant and widely distributed sulfide minerals. It crystallizes in the cubic crystal system often showing octahedral forms...
, sphalerite
Sphalerite
Sphalerite is a mineral that is the chief ore of zinc. It consists largely of zinc sulfide in crystalline form but almost always contains variable iron. When iron content is high it is an opaque black variety, marmatite. It is usually found in association with galena, pyrite, and other sulfides...
, chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite
Chalcopyrite is a copper iron sulfide mineral that crystallizes in the tetragonal system. It has the chemical composition CuFeS2. It has a brassy to golden yellow color and a hardness of 3.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale. Its streak is diagnostic as green tinged black.On exposure to air, chalcopyrite...
, and pyrite
Pyrite
The mineral pyrite, or iron pyrite, is an iron sulfide with the formula FeS2. This mineral's metallic luster and pale-to-normal, brass-yellow hue have earned it the nickname fool's gold because of its resemblance to gold...
. These seams are conformable with the slaty cleavage
Cleavage (geology)
This article is about rock cleavage, for cleavage in minerals see Cleavage Cleavage, in structural geology and petrology, describes a type of planar rock feature that develops as a result of deformation and metamorphism. The degree of deformation and metamorphism along with rock type determines the...
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 until 1884 the ore was treated in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an mills. Notes in mining journals for 1886 and 1887 tell the repairing of old shafts and buildings of a new mill containing at first 20 stamps and later 40 stamps. One shaft was 135 ft (41.1 m). deep. Assay of ore taken from rich seams ranged from 20 to several hundred ounces of gold to the ton, and the ore from a few assayed more than 100 ounces of silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
per ton. 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 by men. Today, the Steel mine is nearly inaccessible and the 1832 structures are in total ruins.
Ophir today
Ophir is located in the heart of the Uwharrie National ForestUwharrie National Forest
Uwharrie National Forest is a federally-designated national forest region located primarily in Montgomery County, but also extending into Randolph and Davidson counties in south central North Carolina. It is the smallest of the four National Forests in North Carolina, with a total area of 50,369...
in the Uwharrie Mountains
Uwharrie Mountains
The Uwharrie Mountains are a mountain range in North Carolina. The range lies in the counties of Randolph, Montgomery, Stanly, and Davidson, although its foothills stretch into Cabarrus, Anson, Union counties and terminate in the hills of Person. Formed approximately 500 million years ago by...
.There are numerous campgrounds and hiking trails, hunting and fishing spots, and recreational services nearby for the outdoorsman's comfort.
Badin Lake
Badin Lake
Badin Lake is one of a series of lakes created by the damming of the Yadkin-Pee Dee River in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of the United States. It was created in 1917 by the Aluminum Company of America. It is contained by Narrows Dam at the town of Badin, North Carolina. Sitting within a valley, the...
and Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery
Lake Tillery is a reservoir between Badin Lake and Blewett Falls Lake in the Uwharrie Lakes Region of North Carolina. It is entirely within Stanly County and Montgomery County, NC. The lake was created by impounding the Pee Dee River, which is created by the confluence of the Yadkin River and the...
are only a few miles away, and the Uwharrie River
Uwharrie River
The Uwharrie River is a river, about 60 mi long, in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina in the United States. It is a tributary of the Pee Dee River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean.- Course :...
basically runs through it.