A golden Saturday in Dahlonega

Golden hills isn’t hyperbole when talking about north Georgia.

While my mom waited for a new stove to arrive, Dad and I decided to venture out. First he showed me his latest discovery in town – a massive quarry just five minutes down the street. I left my camera, and of course a giant hawk sat just 20 feet from us. 

Dozens of miles up from Atlanta, the sprawl slowly peters out and the Blue Ridge foothills swarm in, the road is flanked by gnarled trees and broad, spring-fed rivers. 

Eventually a crossroads arrives. One highway goes deeper into the mountains, while the other stops in Dahlonega before winding among the peaks. Dahlonega might not be a well-known destination – Helen, the old logging town that restyled as a Bavarian village, holds much better name recognition. 

But the gold rush town shines on a sunny Saturday - maybe it was just the gold steeple on Price Memorial Hall. A courthouse at the center of town was surrounded meticulous old buildings with shops and restaurants thick with daytrippers enjoying unexpected February warmth.

The courthouse was circled by busy roads with sidewalks that never felt quite safe. Everyone was in a hurry to pass through Dahlonega Square. Dad and I stuck to the one-time Lumpkin County Courthouse, the oldest in Georgia. 

The brick building dated from 1836 and houses the state-run Dahlonega Gold Museum Historic Site. History often overlooks the first American gold strikes over the larger strikes in California, Colorado, South Dakota’s Black Hills and Alaska. Even the silver rush in what became Nevada gets more attention. 

Dahlonega was the second major gold rush in the 19th century, following Villa Rica south of Atlanta. But gold had more staying power in Dahlonega, as mining operations continued on and off into the 20th century. 

In videos, longtime residents recall the mining techniques of old, and how the mines were central to the town’s economy. One mine is still operated as a tourist attraction - we visited, doing the tourist panning and and walking into the mine shafts where tiny bats slept. 

Some local hobbyists like my dad have been known to venture into a creek to see if panning turns up anything. Usually it does not yield anything more than a few flakes.

Dahlonega even claimed a U.S. Mint branch in its prime, saving miners the difficult and dangerous journey to Philadelphia to have their gold assayed and printed into coins. Dahlonega’s mint exclusively printed gold coins. 

The Mint operated until the Civil War then never reopened as San Francisco had eclipsed Dahlonega. Gold mining continued but the railroad could transport it to Philly much more quickly. 

The gold leaf on the Georgia Capitol’s dome came from Dahlonega. Price Memorial Hall on the University of North Georgia’ campus sits on the site of the Dahlonega Mint, which burned down in the 1870s. The gold-covered steeple of Price Memorial Hall is among Dahlonega’s tallest structures. 

There is still plenty of gold scattered in the mountains slashing across north Georgia, although none in profitable quantities. The museum gives it a focus, and highlights the courthouse’s history on Dahlonega Square. In its antebellum prime, Dahlonega’s best-known mine was owned by Sen. John Calhoun from South Carolina.

Price Memorial Hall through the trees

The museum delves into the more difficult part of the Dahlonega gold rush – it occurred on Cherokee land, and factored into the removal of the southeastern tribes via the Trail of Tears. The Cherokee had their own gold mines and came into conflict with prospectors traipsing across their territory, boring illegal mines. Dahlonega even took its name from a Cherokee word meaning yellow or golden. Of course, the town also was founded illegally on Cherokee lands before the Indian removal from the southeastern U.S.

Like most gold rushes, the trip to Dahlonega is relatively short, but great value lies in exploring overlooked history.