Lumpkin County Old Courthouse and Gold Museum in Dahlonega, Georgia.
Did you know that Dahlonega, Georgia is one of our nations very first major gold rushes? Yes!! From 1828 - 1847 thousands and thousands of people came to Northeast Georgia in search of gold. Lumpkin, White, Cherokee, and Union Counties in Georgia shared in the rush to some extent, but the majority of the gold was found in the hills of Dahlonega, Georgia.
As for the old courthouse.... in 1833 a man named John Humphries contracted to build the old Lumpkin County courthouse in Dahlonega, Georgia with a $2,000. contract and agreee to build the courthouse within 18 months but, he was a slick thing and he ended up swindling an additional $500. and he never did build the courthouse, but fled and he was never found! A few years later, in 1836 a man named Ephriam Clayton of North Carolina built the old courthouse from gold rich cast bricks from Canes Creek and used the mud as mortar. So the courthouse is literally full of gold! The Gold Museum replaced the old court house. The first floor was a market, the second floor was the court house and the third floor was the assayers office, who determined the quality and quantity of the gold brought in. This old courthouse is one of the oldest remaining in our nation!
There was so much gold being produced in the Northeast Georgia area that the Dahlonega mint was built in Dahlonega in 1838. And not only that, but people say the streets of Atlanta are paved with gold and they truly are! Building materials from North Georgia frequently have good amounts of the gold in them. In 1958 the citizens of Dahlonega presented the state of Georgia with gold which was pounded into thin sheets and then attached to the top of Georgia's State House in Atlanta, Georgia. The gold dome in Atlanta, Georgia is a symbol of the nations first major gold rush!
More photos from the little town of Dahlonega.
The little town is a bit larger than what I have photos of and I will try to get more another time, but this was the best I could do from my car! Yes, I take lots of pictures from my car!
Lots of my friends in other states tease me about their visions of me as a southern lady. Some say they can just see me in their mind with visions of me sitting on the huge, wrap around porch of my southern antebellum home with the white picket fence and sipping on a mint julep!
Well.... this isn't my home but..... I think I WOULD love to sit on that beautiful porch and drink a Diet Coke!
It's a beautiful day! Look at that gorgeous blue sky! Do you see those mountains in the distance? Let's go ride a little farther!
What a view these folks wake up to every morning!
Where do we end our trip today? At Burt's Pumpkin Farm! If you have been reading my blog for a while you may remember that I had photos from last year's visit. And if you are still around next year you will probably see them again as I go there most every year!
Enjoy!
Hope you enjoyed the ride! Fall is my favorite time of the year! I love the beautiful autumn color, the little nip in the air, the fresh crisp smell of the morning, and the beautiful blue skies that autumn brings here! I'll be taking more rides in the country, so come back and ride along with me!
Lots of love,
Barbara
Hand Painted Underglaze Blue Ridge Plate by Southern Potteries, Inc. 
