The origins and impact of slavery in Cabarrus County, North Carolina, and the benefits of slave labor to Reed Gold Mine will be examined during Black History Month. Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site will offer “Black Gold – African American Gold Miners in North Carolina” tours Saturdays in February at 1 p.m. and examine the area’s social and economic environment during John Reed’s lifetime. Join us Feb. 8, 15, or 29.
When John Reed arrived in Cabarrus County in 1782 as a Hessian army deserter, he found himself at home in a community with a familiar language and culture. Owning enslaved workers in colonial and antebellum North Carolina was a societal norm, and through their labor economic ventures like farming and gold mining boomed.
The “Black Gold” tour allows Reed Gold Mine to share a forgotten part of North Carolina history, connect with the origins of Reed Gold Mine and reveal how piedmont North Carolina was transformed through the years of backbreaking labor of enslaved men, women and children.
In telling the slavery story of eastern Cabarrus County through the 19th century, Reed Gold Mine will share its importance in the greater North Carolina narrative. “Black Gold” provides the opportunity to connect with people and fill an educational need extending beyond one month on the calendar. The story of the discovery of gold is important at Reed Gold Mine, but it is not the only story to be told. “Black Gold: North Carolina Slavery and Reed Gold Mine” is $2 per person age eight and older; children ages seven and under can tour for free. Tours begin at 1 p.m. each Saturday in the visitor center.
For additional information, please call (704) 721-4653 or email reed@ncdcr.gov. Reed Gold Mine is in southeastern Cabarrus County 12 miles southeast of Concord, 25 miles east of Charlotte, and 18 miles west of Albemarle. It is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.