Topics Related to Reed Gold Mine

On May 28, 1845, John Reed, the owner of the property where the first documented discovery of gold in the United States took place, died. In 1799, Reed’s son, Conrad, found a 17-pound yellow rock in Little Meadow Creek. Conrad brought it home where it was used as a doorstop for years. The elder Reed made several unsuccessful attempts to discern the rock’s value. In 1802, a merchant in Fayetteville paid the family $3.50 for it. Later Reed discovered that the rock was in fact gold and that the merchant received $3,600 from its sale.

On April 9, 1896, the last large gold nugget was found at Reed Gold Mine, the focal point of the nation’s first gold rush. The discovery came 97 years after John Reed first found a large nugget on his land.

Governor Pat McCrory today made a wager with Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper over this weekend’s Super Bowl between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos.