Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site

One of America's most historical events happened in Dahlonega, Georgia-the gold rush of 1849. Over six million dollars in gold was uncovered from the nearby hills in its short twenty year lifespan. The famous Mark Twain quote "There's gold in them thar hills" was made about the gold rush in Dahlonega and gold can still be found here today.

Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site is housed in one of America's oldest remaining courthouses. It was first proposed in 1833 and a contract was given to a man named John Humphries. His shady business dealings got him the contract which he later reneged on. He was given $2,000 in advance to start the job and was given 18 months to complete the work. When the time ran out, he asked for an additional $500 which he received. Work had still yet to be started and a warrant was issued for his arrest. He quickly disappeared, never to be seen again.

In 1836, the courthouse was finally completed by Ephraim Clayton from Asheville, North Carolina. He used clay from the nearby Cane Creek to fire bricks which contain trace amounts of gold. The courthouse bricks all contain gold and can be seen up close as you tour the courthouse.

The courthouse museum is located directly in the middle of the downtown square in Dahlonega and an entrance fee of $5 for adults and $3.50 for children is required. It includes some really awesome artifacts, historical documents and gold pieces and is well worth the price to enter.

A U.S. Branch Mint was opened nearby in 1838, under the direction of President Andrew Jackson to begin the process of strengthening a national central bank. By the time his second term rolled around, he was fighting to dismantle the whole project. Over six million dollars worth of gold coins were minted and each one is on display at the museum.

Artifacts such as miners pans, weighing equipment and a huge hydraulic cannon is on display at Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site. The hydraulic cannon is especially interesting as it was once used to blast away huge amounts of soil and debris just to find the gold. The ruins of this destructive practice can still be found today among the many abandoned mines in the area.

When visiting the museum, don't forget the town of Dahlonega has plenty of fun stuff to do as well. Panning for gold is a very popular treat. I still have flakes of gold from when I visited the area many years ago and panned on one of the areas local flumes.

For more information on directions to the park, hours of operation and other information, visit the official Georgia state park website here.