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Charlotte, NC - Tourist Attractions |
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Town Creek Indian Mound Six hundred years ago a tribe of Native Americans settled on this site overlooking the Little River and built a structure which served as a ceremonial center. The Town Creek center served as a refuge and sacred ritual ground. The area, once inhabited by people of the Pee Dee culture, now contains an earthen mound with a major temple on top, an enclosed minor temple, and a mortuary hut, all surrounded by a palisade fence. These reconstructions are based on fifty years of extensive archaeological excavations since the 1930's. Reed Gold Mine In 1799, on the farm of John Reed, a German immigrant, a 17 pound yellow rock was found by his son. Unaware that is was gold, Reed used it as a door stop for three years before, unfortunately, selling it to a jeweler for $3.50, which was only a tenth of a percent of it's true value. However, despite the first golden nugget being almost given away, Reed entered a partnership with three local men who had discovered, with only their pans and rockers, over one hundred thousand dollars in gold by 1824. Gold mining eventually spread to other parts of the state and then country, because, apparently, it was a profitable business to go into. During its peak years, gold mining was second only to farming in the number of North Carolinians it employed. The approximate value of gold mined reached over one million dollars a year. With the Reed Gold Mine's help, North Carolina led the nation in gold production until 1848, when it was surpassed by the great gold rush in California. Nonetheless, the Reed Gold Mine is the site of the first documented gold find in the United States. At the mine today you can still pan for gold in the river for a nominal fee, and also take a tour of the mine (don't worry, it's not dangerous). You can also go to the gift shop to get a small trinket to remember your visit by. 9621 Reed Mine Rd. Midland, NC 28107 Phone: (704) 721-GOLD (4653) |
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