The first known impact on this area caused by gold was in 1540, when the Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto ravaged the region in search of the golden treasures of “El Dorado.” Not only did he kill and capture many of the local Indians just to the north and west of us in his greedy quest, but his expedition also left the white man’s diseases that would reduce the native population to a small fraction of its original numbers within a few years. Finding only a few gold artifacts made by the Indians, DeSoto continued his expedition to the west where he met his fate in 1541 in what is now Mississippi.

The Alabama gold discovery was in an area that includes the nine present counties of Randolph, Cleburne, Talladega, Tallapoosa, Chambers, Clay, Coosa, Elmore and Chilton.

After the 1830 strike, white prospectors began to illegally pour into the Indian lands in search of gold.

The height of the gold excitement in east Alabama came in the mid 1840’s, as more and more prospectors moved in. These prospectors were followed shortly by other settlers who would farm and free range their cattle. In 1842, a German immigrant was digging a wine cellar near Hillabee Creek, north of what is now Alexander City, when he discovered a vein of gold ore. This discovery became known as the “Dutch Bend Mine.” Other nearby discoveries were in the Goldville and Hog Mountain areas.

The gold bearing territory in our area was divided into two major categories for purposes of classification and administration. First there were the “formations.” Formations were areas where geological inspections and surveys had located an abundance of crystalline materials that contained gold. The major formations in our area were the Ashland, Talladega, Wedowee, Pinckneyville, Talladega and Hillabee. The Wedowee formation was the largest and probably the richest of the formations. The Wedowee formation began in west Georgia and thence ran in a southwesterly direction through SE Cleburne County, diagonally NE to SW through the center of Randolph County, thence through SE Clay County, then through NW Chambers County, NW Tallapoosa County and finally into Northern Elmore County.

The second category used in describing the gold territory was “districts.” The east Alabama gold mining area was divided into twelve districts for administrative purposes. These districts were named Arabacoochee (12), Pinetucky (9), Chulafinnee (5), Riddle’s Mill (3), Idaho (11), Cragford (9), The Devil’s Backbone (16), Eagle Creek (5), Goldville (14), Hog Mountain (1), Chilton County (5) and Coosa County (8). Shown in parenthesis are the number of larger mining operations in each district.

CLEBURNE COUNTY ALABAMA

Most of the gold came from placer deposits near Gold Hill and Clear Creek. In the Hillabee area there are quartz veins containing gold, but they are too low in value to be mined. All area streams and their tributaries in the Arbacoochee Mining District, which includes the northern part of Randolph County, is reportedly the richest placer ground in Alabama. All area streams and tributaries in the Chulafinnee Mining District, west of the Arbacoochee District, had significant early placer mining operations.

RANDOLPH COUNTY ALABAMA

The gold bearing deposits of Randolph County border along the boundary of Cleburne County and are in similar formations to that county. Area streams and branches near Wedowee are most productive. Regional watercourse and bench sands and gravels, placer gold is found.

COOSA COUNTY ALABAMA

This county has widely scattered prospects along Weogufka Creek, Hatchett Creek and Rockford Placers. Along Weogufka Creek is where the Weogufka Creek Placer and is said to contain pans that run 4-20 colors a pan.

TALLADEGA COUNTY ALABAMA

TALLAPOOSA COUNTY ALABAMA

Tallapoosa County contains four major gold districts: Devil’s Backbone, Eagle Creek, Goldville, and Hog Mountain. The Goldville district is about 14 miles long and showed great activity in the early days, when the population of the town reached 3,000. Hog Mountain is unique in Alabama in that gold veins are in granite, and here the cyanide process was first introduced into the state. The Devil’s Backbone district lies in a belt of the Wedowee Formation. Placer gold is found in all streams draining the Devil’s Backbone Mining District, which extends south into Elmore County, west of the Tallapoosa River, and northeast into Chambers County. Area streams and tributaries of the Eagle Creek Mining District, in the central part of the county. Area streams and branches in the Goldville Mining District, northeast of Alexander City. Several gold bearing streams and branches are located within the Talladega National Forest. Check with the District Ranger for specific regulations and mineral ownership status before conducting any prospecting activities. Obtain land owner’s permission prior to entering or prospecting on private land.

CLAY COUNTY ALABAMA

Cragford district is located along far east side of Clay county and far west side of Randolph county you will find the Grizzle Property, it has veins in quartz to 30 feet deep and you could find rich specimen ore near surface, the mine was famous for free milling gold.

CHILTON COUNTY ALABAMA

The Southwestern part of the Alabama belt includes portions of Chilton County. The rock exposures that are limited on the south west by the overlap of the Upper Cretaceous Formation (Tuscaloosa Formation). Nuggets weighing up to 4 ounces have been reported from Blue Creek, a short tributary of the Coosa River in the southeastern part of the county.