In Lumpkin County in 1829, the Georgia gold rush originated, which was believed to be one of the foremost origins of gold in America. There are accounts which show that the traces of gold were first discovered in the mountains of North Georgia. However, the discovery of gold in Georgia in the year 1828 was believed to be the major discovery of gold.

When the European explorers came there, the American Indians told them about the little amounts of gold that they got from the mountains. Some other accounts, which have not been documented in a proper way, indicate that French and Spanish have been mining gold in this region during 1560 to 1690. However, many experts say that these accounts are based on rumours and suppositions that were passed on by the American Indians.

Several assumptions and records obtained, regarding the mining made by the Spanish and French people, appear to be credible, but at the same time, some evidences make them null and void. It is simply not probable that the Spanish could let the profit yielding mines to get wasted.

When gold was discovered in North Carolina in 1798, the speculations regarding occurrence of gold in Georgia greatly increased. Gold discovery in Georgia caused two such factors that led to the first gold rush in the United States in 1829. The first factor was the placer deposits which showed that it was not hard to collect gold in the region, and the second factor was those speculations and rumours that quickly spread in many different parts of the US just like a jungle fire.

Different believes emerged in Georgia at that time which led to the origin of gold in the country. Some people thought that Frank Logan was the first one to discover gold in the region, while some believed John Witheroods to be the pioneer of gold discovery in Duke Creek. All these believe add to the promotion of gold rush in Georgia.

No matter who made the first discovery of gold in the region at that time, but gold rush had started there, and it could have been seen at its peak quite soon. It was on August 1, 1829 when first public account of gold discovery in the region emerged in the Georgia Journal. A news item, published in that journal, explained that two gold mines had been discovered in the region, and that further preparations were being made to reveal that hidden treasure in order to bring it to use.

A large part of the land that had several gold mines was under Cherokee Indians control, but mining operations were started in many other surrounding counties. During the early stages of that gold rush, placer mining was the common sort of mining at that time.

It has been estimated that only 4,000 miners were employed for the Yahoola Creek mines in 1830; while it is estimated that some 15,000 miners were made to work on mines of some other towns including Dahlonega and Aurarua. This was the estimation made at the time when gold rush was on its peak.