John Reed

In the record (4)

1. 1799

   Conrad Reed, the 12-year-old son of German immigrant John Reed, found a 17-pound gold nugget while fishing in Little Meadow Creek on his family's farm in what is now Cabarrus County, an event now recognized as the first documented gold find in the United States.

   Reed Gold Mine State Historic SiteConrad Reed

   Source · checked 2026-08-14

2. 1802

   John Reed took the nugget to a Fayetteville jeweler, who identified it as gold and purchased it from Reed for $3.50 — a fraction of its actual value.

   Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site

   Source · checked 2026-08-14

3. 1803

   John Reed established a mining partnership with three local men to begin extracting gold from the Little Meadow Creek bed, formally starting the Reed Gold Mine operation.

   Reed Gold Mine State Historic SiteReed Gold Mine

   Source · checked 2026-08-14

4. 1845

   John Reed died in 1845; the Reed Gold Mine was subsequently sold at public auction.

   Reed Gold Mine State Historic SiteReed Gold Mine

   Source · checked 2026-08-14