BULLION BLURB - A Glimpse of History, Welcome to Dahlonega – Part 1: “There’s gold in them thar hills”

Posted on June 19, 2017

Shortly before officially joining HCC Rare Coins, I visited my parents. Where do they live…Dahlonega, Georgia.

What do you know about Dahlonega? Chances are, you answered with “nothing” or “not too much.” Even if you knew they had vineyards and wineries in the area, or maybe that they were home to the University of North Georgia, you probably didn’t know that Dahlonega is the location of the first US gold rush.

A man by the name of Benjamin Parks was walking through the woods one day in 1828 and kicked a rock. Upon closer examination of said rock, he realized that it was bright and a color he had not been too familiar with. You guessed it, it turned out to be a gold stone.

This sparked and attracted thousands of people from all over the world as they poured into the North Georgia mountains throughout 1829 with the hopes of hitting it rich. Cherokee Indians refer to this event as the “Great Intrusion.”

Most miners made their living with nothing more than a shovel, gold pan and a dream. However, large nuggets, like Benjamin Parks’ chance encounter, were few and far between. As he said so himself, “it’s just like gambling…all luck.”

Stay tuned and check back next week for more about Dahlonega and the gold in them thar hills.

Submitted by Andy Fox