America’s First Gold Rush

 America’s first gold mines were not out west.  The first gold strike was in the north Georgia mountains.  If Matthew Stevenson had his way, Tony Bennet would be singing, “I Left My Heart” in Lumpkin County.  Back in 1849, Stevenson stood in the Dalonagah town square and tried to convince Georgia miners not to follow the 49er’s out to California.  Mark Twain later paraphrased Stevenson’s speech when he said, “There’s gold in them thar’ hills.”