Reed Gold Mine
Encyclopedia
The Reed Gold Mine is located in Midland
, Cabarrus County, North Carolina
, and is the site of the first documented commercial gold find
in the United States
. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark
because of its importance and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
. For three years, the rock served as a bulky doorstop. In 1802, a jeweler from Fayetteville
identified the rock as a large gold nugget
. He told John Reed to name his price. Reed, not understanding the true value of gold, asked for what he thought was the hefty price of $3.50, or a week's worth of wages. The large nugget's true value was around $3,600.
About 1803, John Reed organized a small gold mining operation. Soon afterward a slave named Peter found a 28-pound nugget. Reed continued with placer mining
for a number of years. In 1831 he began underground mining. John Reed died rich in 1845 from the gold found on his property.
Some years later, the American Civil War
decreased mining activity because of labor and resources being pulled into the war. The last large nugget uncovered by placer mining was discovered in 1896. The last underground mining took place at the Reed Mine in 1912. To handle the large amount of gold found in the region and state from the 19th into the early 20th century, the Charlotte Mint
was built in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina
.
Today, the Reed Mine is a state historic site and open to the public. Visitors can tour a museum with extensive displays about North Carolina gold mining. In addition, they can explore several hundred feet of restored mine tunnels.
, Born, January, 06, 1757, Salzberg Hesse Cassel Germany, mother, Anna Elizabeth Reid [[Her father, Johannes Reidt and mother, Anna Catherine Engel were married August 5, 1764 in Germany]] and his father, Johann Jacob Helmerich d. May 28, 1845, in Cabarrus County, N.C., served during the American Revolution
in Company C (Col. Friedrich von Porbeck) of the Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach. On June 21, 1782 he deserted his post outside Savannah, Georgia
and took his arms and equipment. It is thought, "JOHN REED", used his father-in-laws name. It is imprecise.
He went to 'upper' Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
, later Cabarrus County, where he settled in the ethnic German community. He Anglicized his name to John Reed. Later he married Sarah Kiser, born in 1761 in Germany, daughter of Peter Kiser and Fanny Garmon, and died November 19, 1848 in Cabarrus County.
Midland, North Carolina
Midland is a town in southern Cabarrus County in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it lies in the region known as the Piedmont. The name of the town is derived from its location approximately one-half way between Charlotte and Oakboro on the...
, Cabarrus County, 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...
, and is the site of the first documented commercial gold find
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It has been designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
because of its importance and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
History
In 1799, Conrad Reed, the son of farmer and former Hessian soldier John Reed (né Johannes Reidt), found a 17-pound yellow "rock" in Little Meadow Creek on the family farm in Cabarrus County, North CarolinaCabarrus County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 131,063 people, 49,519 households, and 36,545 families residing in the county. The population density was 360 people per square mile . There were 52,848 housing units at an average density of 145 per square mile...
. For three years, the rock served as a bulky doorstop. In 1802, a jeweler from Fayetteville
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville is a city located in Cumberland County, North Carolina, United States. It is the county seat of Cumberland County, and is best known as the home of Fort Bragg, a U.S. Army post located northwest of the city....
identified the rock as a large gold nugget
Gold nugget
A gold nugget is a naturally occurring piece of native gold. Watercourses often concentrate and grow the nuggets. Nuggets are recovered by placer mining, but they are also found in residual deposits where the gold-bearing veins or lodes are weathered...
. He told John Reed to name his price. Reed, not understanding the true value of gold, asked for what he thought was the hefty price of $3.50, or a week's worth of wages. The large nugget's true value was around $3,600.
About 1803, John Reed organized a small gold mining operation. Soon afterward a slave named Peter found a 28-pound nugget. Reed continued with placer mining
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
for a number of years. In 1831 he began underground mining. John Reed died rich in 1845 from the gold found on his property.
Some years later, the American 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...
decreased mining activity because of labor and resources being pulled into the war. The last large nugget uncovered by placer mining was discovered in 1896. The last underground mining took place at the Reed Mine in 1912. To handle the large amount of gold found in the region and state from the 19th into the early 20th century, the Charlotte Mint
Charlotte Mint
The Charlotte Mint was a branch of the United States Mint that came into existence on March 3, 1835 during the Carolina Gold Rush. The first gold mine in the United States was established in North Carolina at the Reed Gold Mine...
was built in nearby Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
.
Today, the Reed Mine is a state historic site and open to the public. Visitors can tour a museum with extensive displays about North Carolina gold mining. In addition, they can explore several hundred feet of restored mine tunnels.
About John Reed
Johannes Reidt, a Hessian soldier from Raboldshausen, GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Born, January, 06, 1757, Salzberg Hesse Cassel Germany, mother, Anna Elizabeth Reid [[Her father, Johannes Reidt and mother, Anna Catherine Engel were married August 5, 1764 in Germany]] and his father, Johann Jacob Helmerich d. May 28, 1845, in Cabarrus County, N.C., served during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
in Company C (Col. Friedrich von Porbeck) of the Garrison Regiment von Wissenbach. On June 21, 1782 he deserted his post outside Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
and took his arms and equipment. It is thought, "JOHN REED", used his father-in-laws name. It is imprecise.
He went to 'upper' Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
-Air:The county's primary commercial aviation airport is Charlotte Douglas International Airport in Charlotte.- Intercity rail :With twenty-five freight trains a day, Mecklenburg is a freight railroad transportation center, largely due to its place on the NS main line between Washington and Atlanta...
, later Cabarrus County, where he settled in the ethnic German community. He Anglicized his name to John Reed. Later he married Sarah Kiser, born in 1761 in Germany, daughter of Peter Kiser and Fanny Garmon, and died November 19, 1848 in Cabarrus County.
Further Information
American Society of Mechanical Engineers History & Heritage Landmarks PageExternal links
- Reed Gold Mine - official site