Treasure Vacations
A guide to the pirates of North Carolina
It’s been a good week for pirates here at the Treasure Report. Lots of pirates in the news these days it seems.
The islands and coastline of North Carolina was home to many a pirate it seems, including of course the famous Blackbeard. The North Carolinians are proud of their pirate heritage, so much so that they’ve put together a “guide book”:http://www.newsobserver.com/535/index.html for you.
It’s a free download, about 16 pages long. You’ll need Adobe Acrobat to read it. Check it out.
Thanks “Dock”:http://jdmyrick.livejournal.com/
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Visit the Reed Mine, America’s first gold mine
I bet you though that Sutter’s Mill, California was the site of America’s first gold mine, didn’t you? Actually it was the Reed Mine in Stanfield, North Carolina which opened in 1800. In fact, before the big California gold rush of 1849 North Carolina was the source of gold for the US Mint.
Gold was first discovered at the site by farmer John Reed in 1799. While working his fields in Cabarrus County, Reed’s son found a large yellow rock that was quite interesting. They hauled the 17lb. rock home where it made a fine doorstop for several years.
About three years later, a local jeweler identified the door stop as a gold nugget. He then ripped off the Reeds by purchasing it for $3.50 — one tenth of one percent of its actual value. A good deal for a door stop, but a bad deal for a giant nugget.
Now the mine is an historic site run by the North Carolina parks department. There’s a a museum, a gold-panning area, guided tours in a mine shaft, a stamp mill, wooded trails and a picnic area. You can even try your hand at panning for gold for just $2. Entrance to the park is free.
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Florida bed & breakfast hosts a tale of pirate treasure
According to local legend, this 5,400 square foot mansion in Gainseville, Florida was originally financed with pirate gold. Now the swanky Magnolia Plantation bed and breakfast, the history of the property is quite interesting — and well known apparently. The current owners are occasionally contacted by treasure hunters wishing to search for more riches they believe to be buried on the property. Even a previous owner fell under the treasure spell, destroying a fireplace in the process.
As the legend goes, the original owner Emmett Baird discovered the pirate treasure buried along the banks of the Suwannee river in 1897. Baird was led to the spot by a treasure mapped purchased from a suspicious old man with a Scandanavian accent. Descendants of Baird are split as to the authenticity of the story.
If you are ever down in Gainseville, consider a stay at the historic Magnolia Plantation — and bring a crowbar. Who knows, maybe you’ll discover something interesting under the floor boards.
Via The Gainesville Sun
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