Once upon a time, county's streets were literally paved with gold

By RICHARD HILSER

Special to The McDowell News

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Drivers in Burke, McDowell and Rutherford counties could be riding on roads imbedded with gold, worth an estimated $500,000 or more at today’s prices.

In preparation for the fourth annual Gold Festival celebration on April Friday and Saturday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Doug McCormick, a Glenwood resident who unwittingly participated in putting all that gold beneath our streets. His story provides a fascinating glimpse into a time, the early 1960’s, when most people thought our area’s gold deposits were all tapped out.

Doug McCormick eventually became general manager of McDowell County’s last, and very successful, commercial gold mining operations, but he didn’t start out to be a miner. In the 1960’s, most counties began ambitious programs to pave or widen their respective road networks. Noting that each mile of roadway required approximately 40,000 tons of crushed stone to provide a secure footing, Doug concluded that mining gravel might be a reasonably profitable business.

After leasing some likely acreage at the foot of Vein Mountain in Glenwood, the Douglas Dirt Sand and Gravel Company (i.e. Doug and his two sons) began the dusty work of crushing stone, washing it to remove the silt and loading it into a countless stream of dump trucks. Life was hard and jobs were scarce in those days, but the price for crushed stone (a modest 85 cents per ton) was enough to keep the wolf from the door.

The modest dirt, sand and gravel operation continued on an uneventful path for over three years. But one day, a grizzled old gentleman from Burnsville turned up and asked Doug McCormick whether he had found any gold.

"I certainly didn’t think there was any gold in the rock I was digging and pulverizing," recalled Doug, "but I gave this gent permission to wander down towards the stream and investigate to his heart’s content."

In short order, the old prospector returned with a pan containing a 2-inch streak of shiny gold flakes. This event was Doug’s introduction to gold mining. Little did he know that the resultant "gold fever" would lead to an entirely new career.

It should be mentioned that Doug McCormick is a "hillbilly mechanic" without peer. Since crushed rock has to be washed before it can be sold as gravel, Doug simply added a 4-inch trap of his own design to the bottom of the screen used to filter silt from the crushed rock. It wasn’t long before this 4-inch pipe was filling up with flakes (and small nuggets) of gold. Each ton of gravel was yielding approximately $1.28 worth of gold. This, together with the 85 cents per ton charged for road gravel, made the Douglas Dirt, Sand and Gravel Company much more profitable.

Unfortunately, Doug’s little filter trap ended the days when the roadways of Burke, McDowell and Rutherford counties would be at least partially paved with that precious and glittering metal Peruvians once called "tears of the sun."

Soar to new heights at Gold Fest

By RICHARD HILSER

Special To The McDowell News

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Here’s your opportunity to give the entire family the experience of soaring high above the tree tops in a hot air balloon.

Today and Saturday, the 80 foot-tall, red, white and blue RE/MAX hot air balloon will be a featured attraction at the Fourth Annual Gold Festival being held at the Tom Johnson Rally Park on U.S. 70 West in Marion.

Because the balloon can only be flown when wind conditions are moderate, rides will take place primarily in the morning hours.

However, a spectacular (and illuminated) evening ascent will be offered on Friday, weather permitting.

When I told my 8-year-old grandchildren about the possibility of riding in the balloon, one of the girls was worried about a bird pecking a hole in the fabric. (She was relieved when I told her the balloon would be attached to a 100-foot tether.) As a further safety precaution, each ascent will be captained by a certified balloon pilot who will ride in the basket along with five or six passengers. People of all ages can be accommodated. Only babes in arms will be excluded from the ride. Each ascent will be approximately five minutes long, so bring your camera.

This dramatic ride has been made possible through the generous contribution of RE/MAX National via Don Markum, local resident and real estate agent for RE/MAX Advantage Realty of Asheville. Although these balloon rides will be offered free of charge, participants will be asked to make a financial contribution to the Children’s Miracle Network. This organization provides local hospitals with equipment and information to help children suffering from cancer, heart disease and leukemia. All contributions to the Network are tax deductible.

In addition to balloon rides, this year’s Gold Festival will provide opportunities to pan for gold, have children pose for pictures with a miniature 29-inch high burro, listen to live musical performances from seven accomplished groups (including the U.S. Navy Band playing country music selections), watch a flyover by a WWII era training plane and examine the wares of more than 70 artists, craftsmen and other vendors. And should one get hungry, there will be ample opportunity to dine from menus ranging from barbeque and burgers to corn dogs and mouthwatering desserts. In short, the Gold Festival should have something for everybody.

A word of warning! Due to limited times the balloon can be flown, not everyone can be accommodated. If a balloon ride is high on your list of priorities, it would be advisable to get to the festival early.

People from other states rush to Gold Fest

By ANDY FERGUSON

aferguson@mcdowellnews.com

Sunday, April 22, 2007

With mining demonstrations, music and guests aplenty, this year’s N.C. Gold Festival was a huge success, organizers say.

"Overall, we had a fantastic festival," said Carole Markum, president of the N.C. Gold Foundation.

"Our attendance was incredible. We feel really, really good that this year we had a real festival."

"It was an awesome endeavor done by a 100-percent volunteer group," added Festival Director Don Markum.

The fourth annual N.C. Gold Festival was held Friday and Saturday at Tom Johnson Rally Park.

The celebration is intended to raise awareness of the gold- and gem-mining heritage of the area, according to the Gold Foundation’s Web site.

Festival workers estimate that 2,000 to 3,000 attended the event.

Of the nearly 400 who registered for door prizes, 34 percent were from McDowell, a significant increase from past years, Carole Markum said. A fourth of those who registered represented 24 states, including those as far away as California and Alaska.

There were several popular displays of gold mining and processing, including panning, smelting and stamping, as well as a demonstration of a dredging operation in the Catawba River.

Music was also a highlight of this year’s festival. Country Current, a U.S. Navy band, performed several bluegrass, country and patriotic numbers in two performances Friday. Along with McDowell High School’s NJROTC, the group did a special tribute to veterans.

Don Markum said one vet told him the tribute was one of the best he’d seen.

Also performing were Juleigh Ed of Morganton – who also performed a tribute to veterans and those serving in the military – Mary Belle Henline, the Maudlin Brothers, Green Star and BearWallow.

Other popular attractions at the festival were rides in the RE/MAX hot air balloon, a treasure hunt with metal detectors and an assortment of inflatable jungle gyms and children’s activities.

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Last modified: 01/19/2009