Tellus Museum Director To Discuss Gold Rush In Georgia

ROME, GA — Cartersville-based Tellus Science Museum Executive Director Jose Santamaria will speak about the Gold Rush in Georgia at 7 p.m. Monday, July 9 at the Sarah Hightower Library in Rome. Guests will learn about the first gold rush in the country as part of the monthly meeting of the Rome Georgia Mineral Society.

“Everyone knows something about the gold rush in Georgia, but there’s a lot of legends and misconceptions mixed in with the facts," Santamaria said.

Santamaria will discuss the formation of Georgia’s gold deposits, the events that led to the gold rush, the chaos, lawlessness and politics that followed, the impact it had on the Cherokees, and the future prospects for gold discoveries in the state.

“Nearly 200 years ago, north Georgia experienced a level of craziness never seen before in this country,” said
Santamaria. “Fortunes were made by some, but most remained poor and broke, and by the end of the gold rush, the face of north Georgia changed forever.”

(For more news like this, find your local Patch here. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app; download the free Patch Android app here)

The lecture is part of Tellus Science Museum’s mission to educate and inspire the public about science, in this case geology and mineralogy.

“Tellus has the largest collection and the most complete exhibits on Georgia minerals in the world,” Santamaria added. “Gold is an important part of Georgia’s history, so of course our Georgia Gold collection is one of our mo popular exhibits at the museum. We love to share Georgia’s mineral history with the public because it’s important for people to know and appreciate the natural world around them.”

In addition to sharing history about Georgia’s gold rush, Santamaria will also have a gold nugget specimen from Georgia to show visitors. Admission for this lecture is free and the public is invited to attend.

Tellus Science Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a 120,000 square foot science museum located in Cartersville. For more information about Tellus Science Museum, call (770) 606-5700 or visit its website or Facebook page.

Image via Tellus Science Museum