Dahlonega is a town in Lumpkin County,
Georgia, USA, and is its county seat6. As of
the 2000 census, it had a total population of 3,638.
Located at the north end of Georgia 400, about an hour's drive from Atlanta, Dahlonega is also a popular tourist attraction for residents of metro Atlanta. The Dahlonega Gold Museum
Historic Site sits in the exact middle of the town square, housed in the old Lumpkin
County Courthouse built in 1836. From its steps in
1849, Dahlonega Mint assayor
Dr. M. F. Stephenson tried to persuade
miners to stay instead of joining the California Gold Rush. His oration gave rise to the phrases "thar's gold in them thar hills" and "there's millions in it."
History
Dahlonega, Georgia was the first gold Rush in the Nation. Dahlonega was a boom town in the Georgia Gold Rush and became the site of a United States
Mint branch mint between 1838 and 1861, when the facility was turned over to the Confederate Treasury Department and operations continued until June
1, 1861. Numerous gold mines were scattered around the area, a
major reason the Cherokee people were forced to
Oklahoma on the Trail of Tears.[1] The city's name since 1833 comes from the
Cherokee-language word "Talonige" or
"Dalonige", meaning "yellow money" or "gold." The city is just east of Auraria, and each
city claims to be the authentic site of the first discovery of gold. Senator John
Calhoun of South Carolina (7th Vice President of the United States) also owned the Calhoun Mine, just south of the City Square.
The Dahlonega Mint, like the one established in 1838 in Charlotte, North Carolina, only minted gold coins, in denominations of $1.00, $2.50
(quarter eagle), $3.00 (1854 only) and $5.00 (half
eagle). The Dahlonega Mint was a small operation, usually accounting for only a small fraction of the gold coinage minted
annually, and it was deemed unnecessary to reestablish the facility after the Civil
War. As a result, surviving Dahlonega coinage is today highly prized in American numismatics. The mint building burned in
1878 - but the North Georgia College campus built Price
Memorial Hall on its foundation.[2] The building is clearly
identifiable by the gold leaf steeple. In recent years, Dahlonega and Lumpkin County have been recognized as "the heart of
Georgia Wine Country." The county features three vineyards and wineries that are attracting many tourists. The quaint Dahonega
Square is a popular tourist destination and features gift shops, restaurants art galleries and artist's studios. Dahlonega's
local festivals also draw many tourists. Bear on the Square, which marks the day that a black bear wandered onto the square, is a
large arts and crafts festival. Larger than that, Gold Rush Days attract over 200,000 people for the two day event every year on
the third weekend in October.
Historical Marker
Located on the old Courthouse Square in Dahlonega, Georgia WPA Historical Marker 19 B-7, explains:
This court house, built in 1836, replaced the small log structure used since the establishment of Lumpkin County in 1832. The
town was named Dahlonega in October, 1833, for the Cherokee word "Talonega" meaning "golden." From its steps in 1849, Dr. M.F.
Stephenson, assayor [sic] at the Mint, attempted to dissuade Georgia miners from leaving to join the California Gold Rush. His
oration gave rise to the sayings: "There's millions in it," and ["]Thar's gold in them thar hills."[3]
Geography
Dahlonega is located at 34°31′50″N, 83°59′5″W (34.530471,
-83.984705)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area
of 16.6 km² (6.4 mi²), all land.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 3,638 people, 1,060 households, and 568 families residing in
the city. The population density was 219.5/km² (568.1/mi²). There were 1,181 housing
units at an average density of 71.2/km² (184.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.94% White, 4.95% African American, 0.44% Native American, 0.71% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 2.56% from other races, and 1.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.57% of the population.
There were 1,060 households out of which 23.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.4% were
non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or
older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the city the population was spread out with 13.5% under the age of 18, 42.9% from 18 to 24, 19.0% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from
45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 73.6 males.
For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 69.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $28,636, and the median income for a family was $44,904. Males had a median
income of $30,500 versus $22,917 for females. The per capita income for the city was
$16,572. About 11.4% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty
line, including 19.4% of those under age 18 and 13.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Dahlonega is home to North Georgia College and State
University, which includes the Military College of Georgia. The campus has a building topped with a spire, which
is covered in gold leaf from the town. The rotunda dome of the Georgia
State Capitol in Atlanta is also covered the same way.
These are some of the Public schools in Dahlonega
- Lumpkin County Elementary School
- Long Branch Elementary School
- Blackburn Elementary School
- Lumpkin County Middle School
- Lumpkin County High School
Other educational facilities in Dahlonega include:
- Hidden Lake Academy, a boarding
school.
- Wahsega 4-H Center, an environmental education center and summer camp owned by the University of Georgia and administered
through the UGA Cooperative Extension Service Georgia 4-H program.
- Camp Glisson, a year-round retreat camp owned by the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Famous Residents
References
- ^ James Loewen, (1996).
- ^ Price
Memorial Building State Historical Marker (accessed October 27, 2006)
- ^ Georgia
Historical Markers (accessed October 27, 2006)
External links
Coordinates:
34.530471° N 83.984705°
W
Suggested Reading
- "Gold-Mining in Georgia." Harper's New Monthly Magazine 59, Issue 352 (September 1879): 517-519. Available here
- I Remember Dahlonega: Memories of Growing Up in Lumpkin County, by Anne Dismukes Amerson (Chestatee Publishing:
1993)
- Williams, David (1993). The Georgia Gold Rush: Twenty-Niners, Cherokees, and
Gold Fever. Columbia, South Carolina: University of South Carolina Press. ISBN 1-57003-052-9.
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