A “rock” that was tossed to the side was actually a huge piece of gold, North Carolina historians said. Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site, N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources A gold ...

Reed Gold Mine State Historic Site will temporarily close to the public to complete a major parking lot resurfacing project.

Can you imagine splashing around in a creek, finding a shiny rock, bringing it home and using it as a doorstop for three years… only to later discover it was worth more than a half a million dollars?

A gold mine was running dry — but a North Carolina man held onto hope when he visited 129 years ago. Jacob Shinn’s optimism was rewarded when he hit something hard while digging on April 9, 1896. The ...