3 Great Gold Rush Adventures
Georgia Gold Rush
The Georgia Gold Rush was the first significant gold rush in the United States, beginning in 1829 and lasting until the early 1840’s. Though knowledge of gold in the Northern Georgia mountains existed prior to 1829 (there were some poorly documented accounts of Spanish or French mining between 1560 and 1690), there were several stories about people stumbling upon gold.
One account says that Benjamin Parks Jr. found gold in 1828 in the area near which the town of Dahlonega would be settled. Another claimed that an explorer from Clemson SC was on Findley Ridge (a.k.a. the “backbone” of the Georgia gold belt) was the first to find gold, below present day Dahlonega. As the story goes, he kicked a rock and found gold in it. Another account was that John Witheroods found a three-ounce nugget along Dukes Creek.
Nevertheless, these stories spread like a forest on fire, igniting a “gold fever”. The gold rush started in 1829 in Lumpkin County. One of the first public accounts of the gold rush was in August 1, 1829, when the Georgia Journal ran the following notice:
GOLD.— A gentleman of the first respectability in Habersham county, writes us thus under date of 22d July: "Two gold mines have just been discovered in this county, and preparations are making to bring these hidden treasures of the earth to use." So it appears that what we long anticipated has come to pass at last, namely, that the gold region of North and South Carolina, would be found to extend into Georgia. [Source]
At that time, much of the land on which the gold was found was inhabited by the Cherokee Indians. However, mining operations took over the land and in the spring of 1830, there were 4,000 miners working along Yahoola Creek alone. This influx of miners on Cherokee land came to be known as “The Great Intrusion”. Gold rush towns sprang rapidly, particularly in present-day Lumpkin County.
Early miners engaged in deposit mining or placer mining (gold that has washed down from the hillsides and collected along mountain streams). Utilizing a pan and shovel, miners roved the valleys looking for gold. As more people began to move into the gold regions, towns also began to grow, more money became available and more fruitful mining techniques (hard-rock) were utilized.
With disregard for the Cherokee inhabitants, in 1832, a state-sponsored lottery awarded forty acres of gold-bearing land (owned by the Cherokee) to those holding the winning draws. Following, Congress authorized the establishment of a federal Branch Mint at Dahlonega. Though the establishment worked as a seal of approval for the future of Georgia, it was a prosperity that was denied the native Cherokees.
Gold Camp of Deadwood
Situated in the Black Hills of Dakota, Deadwood has always been synonymous with the Wild West. From its founding in 1876, Deadwood was a lawless gold camp; home to lawmen, gunslingers, gamblers, brothels, whisky, and gold miners. In 1874, a government-sponsored expedition confirmed the presence of gold in the Black Hills. Though they tried to keep this discovery from the public, surrounding the area with several military units, fortune and adventure-seeking Americans entered illegally.
Most of the early population was in Deadwood to mine for gold. Once Deadwood was established, mining camps were quickly infiltrated with prospectors looking to get rich. Famous frontier gunfighter, “Wild Bill” Hickok came to Deadwood like others seeking fortune. His intention was to separate prospectors and miners from their gold— but instead of doing so at gunpoint, it was drawn out at the poker tables, “with a winning hand and two pistols at hand for any sore losers in the bunch”.
Needless to say, Deadwood attracted some shady characters in its early days. These particular individuals, mostly male, patronized the many saloons, gambling establishments, dance halls, and brothels, which were considered legitimate businesses.
But after three years of gold digging, and an increase in population, this gold rush town evolved from a primitive mining camp to a community, with order. It was at this time that the legendary Sheriff Seth Bullock was appointed to keep law and order. Subsequently the gold rush came to a halt due and many of the fortune-seekers moved on to bigger and better gold strikes. Those who stayed were put to work by extracting gold from rock.
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike gold rush, which took place in Canada’s Yukon Territory between 1898-99 is known as one of the last “great gold rushes”. The first discovery occurred in 1896 when rich placer gold deposits on Rabbit Creek (later called Bonanza Creek) were accidently found by Skookum Jim Mason, a member of the Tagish First Nations and his party, including his cousin Dawson Charlie (or Tagish Charlie) and nephew, Patsy Henderson. Notably, the find was a tip by Robert Henderson who had been mining gold on the Indian River, just south of the Klondike.
Word of the gold deposits spread quickly to other mining camps in the Yukon River Valley. In the summer of 1897 two ocean going steamers landed on the west coast of the United States, one in San Francisco, the other in Seattle. Men and women marched off the ships carrying sacks of gold, some with $5,000 worth, others with over $100,000. Stories of gold nuggets lying on the ground just waiting to be picked up were coming at a time where the United States was going through a serious financial recession.
Subsequently, many of those impacted by the financial crisis, with a spirit for adventure, including teachers, doctors, as well as famous writer Jack London, turned to the gold fields on the hunt for fortune and glory. A back-breaking journey it was, some never making it out alive. Routes to gain access to the Klondike involved long, arduous portages, climbing treacherous mountains and crossing dangerous glaciers. This was extremely difficult because they had to carry or pull sleds with all their supplies and tools. Most had to hike the trail about 14 times, as they were unable to carry all their belongings in one trip. Boats were then built to go down the Yukon River through some very dangerous rapids, down the river to Dawson City; a boom town still being built.
In 1898, the Klondike population reached over 40,000 which threatened to cause a famine. Though most were more than aware of the faint chances of finding any gold, they were in it for the adventure, which is why the Klondike is often referred to as the “last great adventure”.
The Georgia Gold Rush was the first significant gold rush in the United States, beginning in 1829 and lasting until the early 1840’s. Though knowledge of gold in the Northern Georgia mountains existed prior to 1829 (there were some poorly documented accounts of Spanish or French mining between 1560 and 1690), there were several stories about people stumbling upon gold.
One account says that Benjamin Parks Jr. found gold in 1828 in the area near which the town of Dahlonega would be settled. Another claimed that an explorer from Clemson SC was on Findley Ridge (a.k.a. the “backbone” of the Georgia gold belt) was the first to find gold, below present day Dahlonega. As the story goes, he kicked a rock and found gold in it. Another account was that John Witheroods found a three-ounce nugget along Dukes Creek.
Nevertheless, these stories spread like a forest on fire, igniting a “gold fever”. The gold rush started in 1829 in Lumpkin County. One of the first public accounts of the gold rush was in August 1, 1829, when the Georgia Journal ran the following notice:
GOLD.— A gentleman of the first respectability in Habersham county, writes us thus under date of 22d July: "Two gold mines have just been discovered in this county, and preparations are making to bring these hidden treasures of the earth to use." So it appears that what we long anticipated has come to pass at last, namely, that the gold region of North and South Carolina, would be found to extend into Georgia. [Source]
At that time, much of the land on which the gold was found was inhabited by the Cherokee Indians. However, mining operations took over the land and in the spring of 1830, there were 4,000 miners working along Yahoola Creek alone. This influx of miners on Cherokee land came to be known as “The Great Intrusion”. Gold rush towns sprang rapidly, particularly in present-day Lumpkin County.
Early miners engaged in deposit mining or placer mining (gold that has washed down from the hillsides and collected along mountain streams). Utilizing a pan and shovel, miners roved the valleys looking for gold. As more people began to move into the gold regions, towns also began to grow, more money became available and more fruitful mining techniques (hard-rock) were utilized.
With disregard for the Cherokee inhabitants, in 1832, a state-sponsored lottery awarded forty acres of gold-bearing land (owned by the Cherokee) to those holding the winning draws. Following, Congress authorized the establishment of a federal Branch Mint at Dahlonega. Though the establishment worked as a seal of approval for the future of Georgia, it was a prosperity that was denied the native Cherokees.
Gold Camp of Deadwood
Situated in the Black Hills of Dakota, Deadwood has always been synonymous with the Wild West. From its founding in 1876, Deadwood was a lawless gold camp; home to lawmen, gunslingers, gamblers, brothels, whisky, and gold miners. In 1874, a government-sponsored expedition confirmed the presence of gold in the Black Hills. Though they tried to keep this discovery from the public, surrounding the area with several military units, fortune and adventure-seeking Americans entered illegally.
Most of the early population was in Deadwood to mine for gold. Once Deadwood was established, mining camps were quickly infiltrated with prospectors looking to get rich. Famous frontier gunfighter, “Wild Bill” Hickok came to Deadwood like others seeking fortune. His intention was to separate prospectors and miners from their gold— but instead of doing so at gunpoint, it was drawn out at the poker tables, “with a winning hand and two pistols at hand for any sore losers in the bunch”.
Needless to say, Deadwood attracted some shady characters in its early days. These particular individuals, mostly male, patronized the many saloons, gambling establishments, dance halls, and brothels, which were considered legitimate businesses.
But after three years of gold digging, and an increase in population, this gold rush town evolved from a primitive mining camp to a community, with order. It was at this time that the legendary Sheriff Seth Bullock was appointed to keep law and order. Subsequently the gold rush came to a halt due and many of the fortune-seekers moved on to bigger and better gold strikes. Those who stayed were put to work by extracting gold from rock.
Klondike Gold Rush
The Klondike gold rush, which took place in Canada’s Yukon Territory between 1898-99 is known as one of the last “great gold rushes”. The first discovery occurred in 1896 when rich placer gold deposits on Rabbit Creek (later called Bonanza Creek) were accidently found by Skookum Jim Mason, a member of the Tagish First Nations and his party, including his cousin Dawson Charlie (or Tagish Charlie) and nephew, Patsy Henderson. Notably, the find was a tip by Robert Henderson who had been mining gold on the Indian River, just south of the Klondike.
Word of the gold deposits spread quickly to other mining camps in the Yukon River Valley. In the summer of 1897 two ocean going steamers landed on the west coast of the United States, one in San Francisco, the other in Seattle. Men and women marched off the ships carrying sacks of gold, some with $5,000 worth, others with over $100,000. Stories of gold nuggets lying on the ground just waiting to be picked up were coming at a time where the United States was going through a serious financial recession.
Subsequently, many of those impacted by the financial crisis, with a spirit for adventure, including teachers, doctors, as well as famous writer Jack London, turned to the gold fields on the hunt for fortune and glory. A back-breaking journey it was, some never making it out alive. Routes to gain access to the Klondike involved long, arduous portages, climbing treacherous mountains and crossing dangerous glaciers. This was extremely difficult because they had to carry or pull sleds with all their supplies and tools. Most had to hike the trail about 14 times, as they were unable to carry all their belongings in one trip. Boats were then built to go down the Yukon River through some very dangerous rapids, down the river to Dawson City; a boom town still being built.
In 1898, the Klondike population reached over 40,000 which threatened to cause a famine. Though most were more than aware of the faint chances of finding any gold, they were in it for the adventure, which is why the Klondike is often referred to as the “last great adventure”.