5 replies to this topic

[Windsurfer]

Forgive me if this thread has been started before, but I couldn't find it. Here's an image from a disc I ordered from The North Carolina Geological Survey. This image is one of several from the disc. I keep thinking the South End would be a great place for a restaurant or business to open utilizing one of the old shafts or mine entrances. There's a famous restaurant in Santo Domingo, DR. called "La Cueva". It's a restaurant inside a cave entrance. Very famous. If I didn't already have a career I'd be tempted.
file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/My%20Documents/My%20Pictures/charlotte_hazards_.jpg

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[kermit]

Excellent image! I have always wondered about the specifics of mine location in Wilmore.

[Windsurfer]

It's amazing to think how many of the shafts and tunnels are probably just under the surface. The first and primary mine, St. Catherine's, began where the Beazer land was scraped recently. The quartz vein ran south from there more or less following the ridge line down to about Summit. At that point The Rudisill mine was started and eventually connected to St. Catherines. And, of course there were probably a dozen or more shafts dug into the hill along the way. Sounds like there was more gold dug out of that hill than anywhere else in the Southeast, including Reed's. I've been panning some samples of Irwin Creek lately, but haven't come up with much.

[Vitamin_N]

Is this map comprehensive? Somebody once told me there was an old mine entrance in Villa Heights, and I've wondered if that's true.

[Windsurfer]

This particular map only shows the 3rd Ward area to The South End. There are a couple of other maps on the disc, but none include Villa Heights as far as I know. According to what I've read, at one point there were over 100 mines in Mecklenburg County alone. My aunt has an old shaft in her front yard, and she lives off Providence Rd. It's very possible there were some in Villa Heights. If you tour The Hezekia Alexander House (behind Charlotte Museum) you can see 'glory holes' where miners dug into the earth looking. Most of those are from the Great Depression (from what the docent told me at the time).

[norm21499]

So THAT'S where the term "glory holes" came from.....I have always wondered LOL! Ok, back on topic now! I have a friend in southwest Charlotte that has  an old min shaft in her back yard. Her back yard is actually caving in where the shaft is. You cant go out there when its dark cause you will fall in.