Prospecting for Gold, Then and Now

By Earl Hunsinger

Thar’s gold in them thar hills! This famous saying is believed to have been inspired by a statement made by an assayer in Georgia at the time of the California gold rush of 1849. According to the Digital Library of Georgia Dr. Matthew Stephenson was trying to convince a crowd of miners to stay in Georgia rather than go west in pursuit of gold. Speaking to them from the steps of the local courthouse, he pointed to Findley Ridge and pleaded: "Why go to California? In that ridge lies more gold than man ever dreamt of. There's millions in it."

Prior to the California gold rush of 1849, Georgia had experienced its own gold rush, back in 1828. However, according to the website Reedmine.com, the first documented discovery of gold in the United States took place in North Carolina. When twelve year old Conrad John Reed brought home the 17 pound yellow rock in 1799, his family thought it would make a nice doorstop. Three years later, after they discovered what it really was, the nation’s first gold rush began. Shortly after this, in 1803, a slave discovered an even bigger yellow rock, a gold nugget weighing 28 pounds.

Today, you are probably not going to find a 28 pound gold nugget in your backyard. Yet, if you know where to look, gold can still be found in North Carolina, Georgia, California, and in most other states.

Amateurs have found that the methods used for gold prospecting 200 years ago can still be effective today. The simplest method, with the exception of stubbing your toe on a golden doorstop, is to "pan" in a stream. In this method, material is removed from the bottom of a streambed and carefully searched for the presence of gold, which is usually found only in tiny flakes. Since gold is heavier than the other material, it will sink to the bottom of the pan. Panning involves a technique to carefully wash away the lighter material in the pan, leaving any gold behind. There are also more complicated and more modern methods for searching for gold, including the use of a metal detector. The website Minin’ Gold contains several interesting articles on the various methods used. But where can you find gold?

While you probably won’t find directions to the mother lode, believe it or not, the Minin’ Gold website also posts information from amateur prospectors on where you can still successfully pan for gold. These are places where it is legal (or was legal at the time of posting) to prospect. Many of the places listed are free and do not require you to join any kind of club or organization.

For those new to the hobby, or who would just like to learn more about the history or modern day hobby of gold prospecting, there are many places around the country where you can get information, take a tour, or even try your hand at panning.

The Reed gold mine, mentioned earlier, has a nice tour and an area where pans are already laid out that you can search for gold. The tour is free, but there is a charge of two dollars per pan to prospect. Gold Prospecting Adventures of Jamestown, California, offers a variety of gold prospecting experiences, from an afternoon panning to a three day trip with a metal detector.

But what if in your casual wandering you come upon the mother lode? Just like in the old days, you can stake your claim. The website for the United States Geological Survey has additional information on gold prospecting in the United States, including information about how to go about staking a claim on government land.

So then, whether you’re looking to strike it rich like the old 49s, or just want to spend a fun and educational afternoon with the kids, remember, thar’s gold in them thar hills!