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Topics Related to Davidson County
On January 7, 1839, the first silver mine in the United States opened at Silver Hill, near Lexington in Davidson County.Silver was first discovered on the site in 1838. Prospector Roswell A. King purchased the land, and along with John W. Thomas, was issued a charter by the General Assembly in 1839. The site became known as the Washington Mine.The loss of silver and lead in the refining process caused financial troubles for the Washington Mining Company. Experiments in refining failed to improve the situation, and, in 1852, the mine closed.