AURARIA, Lumpkin Co., Georgia

 

 

By

 

Gary B. Speck

 

 

            AURARIA, GEORGIA HOLDS A UNIQUE position in American history.  It predates the California Gold Rush by nearly 20 years, and was the center of America’s first true gold rush northeast of Atlanta.  Because of the discoveries near here, a branch mint was established and gold mining became a big business in the United States.  Gold was found here in 1828 at what became known as the Calhoun Mine.  It was one of the mines that helped ignite the Georgia Gold Rush.  The Calhoun was also one of the town’s longest worked mines, finally closing in 1939.  It was located midway between Auraria and Dahlonega, which is located about seven miles northeast of Auraria.

 

Shortly after gold was discovered in the Auraria/Dahlonega area, there was an influx of white settlers to the mines.  However, as this was Cherokee Indians land, the mining operations and settlement were not legal.  As a result there was such an outcry from the settlers, that the federal government passed the Indian Removal Act in May 1830.  The Cherokee were evicted and forced to relocate to what is now Oklahoma.  As a result of this covetous action, Auraria and Dahlonega grew.  Auraria was also known as Dean, Deans, Knucklesville, Nuckollsville and Scuffle Town and in 1830 counted around 1000 citizens and had enough hotels, stores, saloons and other businesses to keep them supplied.  There was even a weekly newspaper, The Western Herald.

 

When Lumpkin County was formed on December 3, 1832, Auraria put in a bid for the county seat, but Dahlonega snagged that honor.  This issue and the establishment of a branch United States Mint in Dahlonega in 1838 pretty much sealed the fate of this pioneering gold mining town, which then began to fade. 

 

When gold was discovered in California in 1848, nearly the entire Georgia mining area headed west, leaving a few folks behind.

 

Auraria also has ties to what is now Denver, Colorado.  In 1858 a group of men from Auraria, headed by William Greeneberry Russell, traveled west to Kansas Territory and settled south of the confluence of Cherry Creek and the South Platte River east of the base of the Rocky Mountains.  They called their little settlement Auraria.  Across Cherry Creek a rival settlement called Denver City was established.  When the Civil War began, the settlers returned to Georgia to fight for the Confederacy and the western town of Auraria died and was absorbed by Denver.

Today, Auraria, Georgia is a quiet rural area, while Dahlonega is a lively little town.  Both relish their gold rush past.  In Auraria, that past is fading more each year, and only a few old buildings remain.  The Graham Hotel is nearly collapsed, Woody's Store on Castleberry Bridge Road is now closed and an old house that once housed a bank sits vacant.  A few other houses remain.

Some of the mines in the area included: placer mines along Camp Creek, Cane Creek and the Etowah River.  Other mines included the Barlow Mine, Battle Branch Mine, Etowah Mine, Gold Hill Mine, Hedwig-Chicago Mine, Ralston Mine and Whim Hill Mine, among others.

 

Please remember that land here is privately owned, and to view all remaining buildings from the roads (public right-of-way.)

 

This was our June/July 2010 Ghost Town of the Month.

This is one of the towns featured in my newest book, GHOST TOWNS: Yesterday & TodayTM.

 

 

 

SITE NAME

ELEV.

LATITUDE

LONGITUDE

TOWNSHIP/RANGE

Auraria

1401’

34.4745389 / 34° 28' 28" N

-84.0232437 / 84° 01’ 24” W

NOT USED IN GEORGIA

Calhoun Mine

1339’

34.4920390 / 34° 29' 31" N

-83.9821315 / 83° 58’ 56” W

NOT USED IN GEORGIA

Dahlonega

1450’

34.5325938 / 34° 31' 57" N

-83.9849100 / 83° 59’ 06” W

NOT USED IN GEORGIA

 

 

 

 

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FIRST POSTED:  June 02, 2010

LAST UPDATED: July 31, 2010

 

 

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