Mines: — Union County

Source: Tom Ashworth's Prospectors Cache (tomashworth.com / Mike Higbee / 49erMike). Author: Tom Ashworth. Original page: union_nc.shtml. State index: https://web.archive.org/web/20040830075749/http://www.tomashworth.com/goldloc.shtml Area: MINES:. Map coordinates are an approximate county centroid — not a precise claim site. Black Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. Bonnie Belle Mine - produced free gold, with pyrite. Crowell Mine - located in extreme northwest corner of county, on dumps you can find gold showings with zinc. Crump Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. Crump Mine, is located 4 miles south from Stout's Station, on the Carolina Central Railroad. It is noted for its remarkable pockets, and splendid and peculiar nuggets, in which gold occurs. Fox Hill Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. Howie Mine - 3 miles northwest of Mineral Springs, was largest mine in county, operated 1840-1942, total production estimated at 41,300 ozs. of lode gold through 1934. It was called the Condor Mine 1940-42, it was the largest gold producer in North Carolina. In all area stream, bench, and slopewash gravels you can find placer gold. On adjoining slopes, stringers in schist impregnated with fine-grained quartz bearing pyrite and gold. It was developed some time before 1840 as a consequence of placer mining in the vicinity. The lodes were quickly exploited, yielding an estimated $250,000 in 1854. After a period of idleness brought on by the Civil War, the mine was again opened in 1885 and remained active on a small scale at Intervals until 1934. No activity was reported from 1934-1959. Estimated production of the mine was about 50,000 ounces of gold. Lemmonds (Marion) Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite Long Mine - southwest corner of county, produced by-product gold, with copper, lead, and zinc. Moore Hill Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. 3 miles southeast of the Long Mine. New South Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold, with pyrite. Phifer Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold. Secrest Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold. Smart Mine - 2 miles south of Indian Trail, produced free and lode gold. Washington Mine - produced free gold, with pyrite.