Coosa Gold Mine

Address: 105 Highland Forge Ln, Blairsville, GA 30512

Description: A historically significant and abandoned gold mine that once produced some of the purest gold in the United States

History: During the 1800's gold was first discovered in Dahlonega, bringing thousands to the mountains of North Georgia. Dahlonega, however, was not the only location that gold would be found. It was even found in Union County itself as gold mines starting popping up all over the county. One in particular, was the Coosa Gold Mine. Since official records of gold mining in Union County were lost to a fire, the exact date that the Coosa Gold Mine was found and started is unknown. However, what is known is that as much as $2,000,000 of gold was assayed for and the gold found in this particular mine was considered to be "The yellowist gold"(purest) gold in the country.

Fun Facts: 1. It has been stated that although Dahlonega is famously known as the "place where gold was first discovered" that gold was actually discovered in Union County and other nearby counties in higher elevations before Dahlonega's discovery. 2. The gold mine is not open to the public and currently sits on private property in the Highland Falls Subdivision off of Owltown Road. 3. In the early-to-mid 1990's, tours were actually once given once a year by the Union County Historical Society before the land was then purchased and developed. 4. The father of long-time Georgia State Superintendent, M.D. Collins, once used to run a country store near the gold mine. 5. Many of the official gold mining records for Union County were sadly lost to a fire.