North Carolina, the First Golden State

The distinction of claiming America’s first gold rush does not belong to California. Gold was actually discovered in North Carolina—a full fifty years before California’s Gold Rush of 1849. North Carolina, the First Golden State tells the fascinating true story about a young boy from Cabarrus County, North Carolina who started America’s first gold rush.In 1799 twelve-year-old Conrad Reed discovered a large gold rock on the family farm while fishing in a stream. Nobody recognized the rock as gold. Unbelievably, the Reed family used the rock as a doorstop for three years. North Carolina, the first Golden State shares the exciting account of prospectors descending upon North Carolina from neighboring states and from around the world—putting Cabarrus County on the map.