Gold Mining
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The Dahlonega gold vein, which runs through the region, attracted the first non-Indians to the area during the Georgia gold rush. Many of these people settled permanently, displacing the Cherokee and Creek Indians, who had held the land before white settlement.
Tallapoosa (said to mean "golden water" in the language of the Creek Indians) had been called "Possum Snout" by gold miners who panned the waters of the Tallapoosa River for the precious metal.
The gold mine was located on highway 100, three miles south of downtown Tallapoosa. There were two dozen homes, a school a commissary, blacksmith’s shop, branch post office, several large buildings where gold was processed and an office building with four floors.
When men were not mining they farmed, cheifly cotton and harvesting the stands of lumber prevalent in the area. Houses were different colors instead of being numbered. They were blue, red and yellow to denote each home. There was one two-story home. Indian arrow heads were found there in abundance indicating Indian battles. The residents went across Walker's Creek to services at Pleasant Hill Church.
Elevators took miners deep into the mining shafts. They were from 105 feet to 200 feet deep. In 1889, geologist reporter stated “Haralson County is one of the best mining counties in Georgia. The Holland Mines on Walker’s Creek have been worked for many years and $300,000 is reported to have been taken out of surface mining." The Holland Mines were sold to the Camille Mining Co. in the 1880s, then on Jan. 26, 1896 the land and machinery were sold for $40,000 to the Royal Gold Mining Co. of Hamilton, Tennessee.
A tornado destroyed all buildings used to process gold in the 1930s. Much of the equipment was sold for scrap to the US Army during WorldWar II. Water from the underground spring gradually filled the whole mine. Five homes were still there in 1940.