The 19th Century View from the Miller Shaft

The 19th Century View from the Miller Shaft. . The first gold discovery in Gold Hill was on the farm of Andrew Troutman in 1824. The small family operation utilized a Chilean Ore Mill to grind the gold laden ore into a fine powder. The mill was turned by use of horse or mule power, This mill is believed to be the only original complete working mill with all original gears remaining from the nineteenth century mining era in North Carolina. It was originally owned and operated by the Shafer Family at Gold Hill, NC, Overview of the Gold Hill Mine: Barnardt, Shaft, Smelrer and Eames Stamp Mill. Photo was taken circa 1880,The Headframe of the Barnhardt Shaft is pictured in the distance, near the center of the photo, between the smelter on the right and the stamp mill on the left. The shaft can be seen today and is located just beyond the amphítheater staged by the chain link fence. Further in the distance is Main Street, (now St. Stephens Church Road) and the Village of Gold Hill. The Barnhardt Mine was dug in September 1842. Col. George-Barnhardt was the son-in-law of John Reed of Reed Gold Minel, now a NC State Historic Site., Log Rockers were used at Gold Hill from 1824, 1900. Much of the above ground tasks of gold ore processing fell to the women and children. While their husbands and older sons worked underground to bring úp the ore, the women and younger children worked the crushed ore using the log rockers. The basin of the rockers held mercury which would cling to the gold, All other material was washed away. Usually after fall harvest many farmers would turn to digging for gold to supplement family income.