-
Yellow Rock
In 1799 a 12 year old boy, Conrad Reed pulled a 17 pound yellow rock out of Little Meadow Creek near Charlotte, North Carolina. Later they figured out it was actually a gold nugget. -
NC Gold Rush Begins
From 1805 -1823, many people from all around the world heard about the gold being found in North Carolina and joined the rush to find gold. -
Christopher Bechtler Reaches NC
Christopher Bechtler, a german who was a pro at finding gold opened a gold shop. His shop was run from 1831 until the 1850s and produced more than a million gold coins from 1831 until 1841. -
Making Coins
At the request of the local gold miners, Mr. Bechtler agreed to begin making gold coins. He took their raw gold and turned it into coins worth $2.50 - $5.00 just like those coins made by the US Mint. -
The First Dollar Coin
A year later in 1832, Mr. Bechtler made the first gold coin worth $1. He made $770,000 worth of gold coins in only 2 years from1836-1838. -
Mint Opens in the South
The US Government finally agreed to open a mint in Charlotte, North Carolina. Miners started taking their gold to Charlotte instead and Mr. Bechtler did not have to make as many coins. His business slowed down. -
Christopher Bechtler Dies
After Mr. Bechtler died in 1842 his son, Augustus continued the gold coin business for another 2 years until he died. In 1849 when gold was found in California miners went west and there wasn't much more gold mining in North Carolina.
