The largest gold nugget discovered east of the Mississippi River was found by John Phillip Thurmond on April 14, 1889 at the Hamby Mines in Northern White County. The nugget weighed 504 pennyweights and four grams, which is about 25.5 ounces. The nugget was once in a museum in London, England.
In 1952, Jere Chambers found a large nugget near his home four miles north of Cleveland. This nugget weighed 89.2 pennyweights. Its worth at the time was about $156.00.
The first discovery of gold in Georgia occurred on Alabama Branch, a tributary of Dukes Creek in Nacoochee Valley in 1828 in what is now White County.
John Withrow made a similar discovery at about the same time on the old Lovelady property in Habersham County. Shortly after, gold was discovered in Indian Territory between the Etowah and Chestatee Rivers and "The Rush" was on.
Gold was mined commercially in this part of the state for over 100 years.

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Mustering Grounds
Old White County Courthouse
White County
Cleveland
Mossy Creek and Rock Springs Campgrounds
Discovery of Gold
Nacoochee Indian Mound
Early Trading Post
Nacoochee Valley
The Unicoi Turnpike

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