Re: Trivia

Hi,

That is the type of stuff I'm asking about.

When I was in grade school in Charleston WV, I was taught about the Dahlonega, GA gold strike (supposedly the first gold strike in North America. many years later, I mentioned it to someone from South Carolina who proptly said that that was the BS Georgia spread (I was living in GA at the time).

The first or second gold strike here in GA played out in the 1840s or maybe as late as the 1850s. A US mint was operated there. The mint was closed when Georgia seceeded from the Union. Unlike the New Orlenes Mint, nothing was minted after 1861 by either the CSA or USA.

In the 1880s, The Gainesville and Dahlonega narrow gauge was surveyed (some 8-10 miles). Track was laid from the Gainesville Jefferson & Southern to the Chattahoochee River. Money was never available to bridge the CHattahoochee and the G&D ended up becoming the standard gauge Gainesville Power and Light (?) street railway with a nice park overlooking the Chattahoochee.

A SG railroad got close (within 4 miles) of Dahlonega in the 1910's and 1920's. The Gainesville & Northwestern was laid SG to Helen. From about the midpoint at Cleveland, the more or less industrial mining railroad named the Chestatee RR got to within 3-4 miles of Dahlonega. It was a common Carrier but was used primarily for the Chestatee Pyrite mines.

The G&NW used regular rod locos. The CRR used a Climax.

Many of the Colorado gold mining areas were prospected by people from the Dahlonega area.

A small footnote in history. Do you know of any?

Doug vV