Gold experts prepare to extract a layer of stream bed for panning at the NC Gold Fest in Old Fort, NC. Photo courtesy of McDowell Tourism
History and the personalities shaping it often blend together. So the case remains with microwave smelting, panning, tents displaying artisans and their wares, live music, nugget raffles and a duck-through-the- stream race at the 14th Annual NC Gold Festival on Saturday, June 3, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Mountain Gateway Museum in Old Fort.
“The mission of the festival is to educate people about the tremendous history of mining here in Western North Carolina, before Georgia or California,” says festival organizer Don Markum.
Since 1799, the Tar Heel State has struggled to uphold its claim to the US’s first gold discovery in a Cabarrus County creek—about half a century before the California rush—by the children of John Reed, who founded the Reed Gold Mine.
That mine and its stamp mill, which pulverized gold through the industrial age, have become a state park. McDowell County’s renovation plans assure that the story will not be lost on modern tourist audiences.
A dearth of printing presses across the Southeast also dampened the find. “There weren’t any newspapers,” says Markum, “nothing to put it out there.”
The limits of 19th-century mining technique also challenged North Carolina’s claim. “Miners weren’t able to mine below the water table. By the time the technology was brought to the area for water extraction, the California mines opened and the miners left,” says Markum.
But no expertise is needed to enjoy the assortment of crafts, musicians, raffles, and authentic summer fun the free festival promises to all. The Mountain Gateway Museum is located at 102 Water Street, Old Fort. Vendors must set up the previous Friday evening from 4–8 p.m. Applications and other information can be found at ncgold.org.
