Buckshotnc
Sr. Member
- Nov 5, 2012
- 394
- 412
- Detector(s) used
- Fisher GBII
- Primary Interest:
- Prospecting
A few years ago maybe 10 or so a geologist from Florida contacted me regarding access to my property Treasure Valley also home to the old Lookadoo Gold Mine since he knew diamonds had been found in the creek that flows through my property and I agreed and he has been there multiple times but as of yet hasn't found any diamonds. During one of his visits I either took him to or told him about an old Poteet family cemetery up in the woods where a few people were buried a couple were confederate soldiers. Later he sent me a cd about diamonds and included was a file about the Poteet genealogy. I've had it for years but recently decided to look through some of it to see if there were some current descendants I knew. There were and some I went to school with. To the point, in there was a note about one George D. Poteet's getting killed who was 21 years in an accident, and quoted a December 4, 1856 Asheville News paper article which I will quote because I'm not sure I can post a picture of the article or the Tombstone.
Quoted here:
" Dreadful Accident "
"We learn that a distressing accident happened near Dysartsville, McDowell county, a few days since. The tressel work being put up by Dr. Van Dyke for conveying water for mining purposes, fell, or gave way, instantly killing five white men and seriously wounding seven or eight others, some of whom will probably die. The only names we have heard of are those of Mr. Poteet and Epley, both killed."
I found the actual newspaper article and got a copy of it. Remembered the Poteet Cemetery which now is located on land owned by the Lost Dutchman mining Association (LDMA) Vein Mtn. and requested permission to go to the cemetery and sure enough there was the tombstone of George D. Poteet 21 years old. I thought it ironic Poteet being killed in an accident about gold mining and now rested in a cemetery owned by a gold association. This cemetery and LDMA are approximately 1 1/2 miles from my mine. I also wonder if the trestle that the young Mr. Poteet was working on was to supply water to my mine since there is an old water line on the ridge where most of the mining was done and there is no water source on that ridge today and the old water line ends on my property. One of the history books tell of the miners purchasing a pump from England which pumped the water up to 16 miles to the miners. I've still got to investigate further to determine the fate and names of the other seven or eight men. Remember while reading the article that this happened prior to the Civil War, and some of the local farmers owned slaves and would lease them out to the gold miners for $7-$8 per month for working 10 hr days - 6 days a week. I'm told through local history books some of the miners let them work on Sunday and keep what gold they found and some of the slaves bought their freedom this way. I'm going to reach out to another member to see if he can post a picture of the article and tombstone.
Quoted here:
" Dreadful Accident "
"We learn that a distressing accident happened near Dysartsville, McDowell county, a few days since. The tressel work being put up by Dr. Van Dyke for conveying water for mining purposes, fell, or gave way, instantly killing five white men and seriously wounding seven or eight others, some of whom will probably die. The only names we have heard of are those of Mr. Poteet and Epley, both killed."
I found the actual newspaper article and got a copy of it. Remembered the Poteet Cemetery which now is located on land owned by the Lost Dutchman mining Association (LDMA) Vein Mtn. and requested permission to go to the cemetery and sure enough there was the tombstone of George D. Poteet 21 years old. I thought it ironic Poteet being killed in an accident about gold mining and now rested in a cemetery owned by a gold association. This cemetery and LDMA are approximately 1 1/2 miles from my mine. I also wonder if the trestle that the young Mr. Poteet was working on was to supply water to my mine since there is an old water line on the ridge where most of the mining was done and there is no water source on that ridge today and the old water line ends on my property. One of the history books tell of the miners purchasing a pump from England which pumped the water up to 16 miles to the miners. I've still got to investigate further to determine the fate and names of the other seven or eight men. Remember while reading the article that this happened prior to the Civil War, and some of the local farmers owned slaves and would lease them out to the gold miners for $7-$8 per month for working 10 hr days - 6 days a week. I'm told through local history books some of the miners let them work on Sunday and keep what gold they found and some of the slaves bought their freedom this way. I'm going to reach out to another member to see if he can post a picture of the article and tombstone.
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