Gold Rush - Villa Rica GA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 33° 43.875 W 084° 55.044
16S E 692943 N 3734305
There are several murals across the walls here, each depicting a different part of the cities history.
Waymark Code: WM10Y6B
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 07/10/2019
Views: 1
County of mural: Carroll County
Location of mural: Main St. walls visible in amphitheater, On Main Street Villa Rica offices
This mural contains the images of an old miner panning for ...whatever he finds...and a pocket watch, an assayers scale, building front, a steam a gold nugget and a bottle of whiskey. The picture in the minds-eye is becoming clear, a bucket, and the actual cave where gold was first found in Villa Rica, and a mining crew sitting for a while...and a stamp mill close it out.
" • Legend has it that Native Americans knew of gold in America long before the settlers, but held that its value was for jewelry instead of currency.
• Due to an obscure law passed in 1825, which gave the mineral rights to the state for the newly created “Carroll County,” gold mining remained a closely guarded secret in Carroll until December of 1829 when the law was repealed. Within a few months, dozens of commercial mining operations suddenly appeared on the deed books in the area.
• As the easily found gold diminished, the miners moved northward to the Cherokee Indian territory. This discovery of gold was the driving force for the removal of the Native Americans in this area. Ironically, the Georgia gold rush ended within twenty years after their removal.
• Most of the gold mines in this area became defunct and only the Pine Mountain Gold Mine was commercially mined after 1900.
• The first mining town to spring up in the area was known as Hixtown. It was located about one mile northeast of the present downtown area. It was changed to Villa Rica (Spanish for “City of Riches” because of the gold) in 1832." ~ The City of Villa Rica